The Space Between The Stars
by Issy
Summary: COMPLETE AND OBSOLETED BY HBP While Remus comes to terms with his losses and Severus drowns in his own bitterness, Sirius seeks a way home from behind the veil...
1. Prologue: Binding With Briars

_I've always liked the colour black,_ Sirius thought.

No matter that it was a colour assigned to death, to the Death Eaters, to Voldemort. No matter that it was the surname of his accursed family. No, there was something about black that appealed to him. _When you look up at a sky full of stars,_ he mused, _the black is shining in the spaces in between._

He often felt like he was one of those spaces in between the stars. Dimly, darkly, in his schooldays, had he shone between the supernovae of Lily and James. Between them and the black hole that was Peter Pettigrew. And when the black hole consumed the stars… who else to blame but the space between?_But to some,_ he thought, _I have become the star._

He thought of Harry then. Merlin only knew how much the boy had suffered. He had received neither love nor friendship after the death of his parents, until he came to Hogwarts. There were holes in his life, holes in his soul, and he filled those holes with his friends - with Ron, with Hermione, with Ginny, Neville, Luna, Dumbledore - with Sirius.

And to Remus, now, Sirius was the star. _Only each other at the end,_ Sirius thought. Remus was another space between, but all the stars were gone now. _Only the darkness at the end of days_.

The darkness and the wind surrounded him, tearing at his hair, his cloak, his wand. Darkness impenetrable, a black that could not be seen through. "_Lumos_," Sirius murmured.

And, like a star exploding in the blackness of space, there was light.

As his burning wand lit up the corners of this world, Sirius knew what had happened. Exactly what Bellatrix had pushed him into. "World between worlds," he whispered. "The Void."

In every corner people huddled, clutching at their ears, their eyes, their chests, their knees. Trying to shut out the horrors of what they had become, and where they were. "The Void," Sirius repeated under his breath. "Darkness eternal."

And to his horror, he saw people he knew.

In one corner, Aberforth Dumbledore sat, recognisable only by the silver hair and beard twin to his brother's. Remus had told him of Aberforth's disappearance during his time at 12 Grimmauld Place. "It was just after you went to Azkaban," he had told Sirius. "The final dig of the Death Eaters at Dumbledore. We still don't know what they did with Aberforth."

_I do now,_ Sirius thought grimly.

Armando Dippet, former headmaster of Hogwarts, looked almost dead curled up in one corner, but Sirius knew he was not. You could not die in the Void, and that was your greatest punishment. Beside him was a man with a hooked nose that could only be some relative of Severus Snape.

_All these people,_ Sirius thought_, who have been here for centuries and more. Dead to the world and yet undead, because you cannot die in the Void, but only dwell in the darkness forever, in a cursed half-life, never to see light nor love again._

A second thought gripped him and he looked down at his left hand. _I must be the only one to have ever passed through the curtain with a wand,_ he thought. In his hand, it still burned with a fire that drove back the darkness - for now.

"Are you - an angel?" a voice asked him. "Have you come to rescue us?"

Such hope, such fragile, brittle hope, that he must shatter.

"No," he replied. "I am the same as you - one who has passed through the veil."

"But you bear light, and magic," a second voice said. "These things they took from us when they pushed us through."

"I was not put to death," Sirius replied. "I fell through in a wizarding duel."

Then a third voice, one he had not heard for what seemed like ages, came from near his feet. "S-Sirius Black?"

And as his wandlight fell upon her face, Sirius knew then that he would find a way to save these people. He would be their angel.

"Regina?"


	2. The Extreme Limit Of Wisdom

There were far more people than usual in Diagon Alley as Remus Lupin entered it. At first he did not know why, until he saw a huge banner strung across an awning. _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes_ - _Opening Today!_ it screamed loudly in huge red letters, flashing every now and then to a violent orange that rivalled their younger brother's bedspread. Remus smiled wryly. Fred and George Weasley, the newest members of the Order of the Phoenix (much to their mother's chagrin), were among the most exuberant, that was for sure.

But thinking about the Order of the Phoenix made him think about Sirius, and the smile soon disappeared from his face.

He had had nightmares about that veil ever since he was young. Many mothers would tell their children stories about monsters or demons that would get them if they were bad, but not Arethusa Lupin, Arethusa the Unspeakable. Every night, before he went to sleep, she would tell Remus, in her quiet, calm voice, about the veil that was hidden in the Department of Mysteries. A veil that led to a no-place, where there was no light, love, friendship, magic. Just a private hell built for those unlucky to be pushed through. A gateway to the Void.

"And," she would finish, still as quiet and calm as when she began, "if you are bad, that is where I will take you."

_I wasn't lying when I said I had a sick mother at school,_ Remus thought. _My mother was sick._

He still visited her, occasionally. Locked up in the Ward for the Psychotic and Criminally Insane in St. Mungo's, Arethusa would strain against the straitjacket that bound her, fight the leather between her teeth. Once, she had broken the leather and swallowed it. The only time he had heard her speak was after they locked her up for what she did. Only a few words she had spoken, and they chilled Remus to the bone. "_She was bad,_" she had hissed, her face twisted in a horrid parody of a smile,_ "so I took her._"

Not many people knew about Remus's mother, deemed too mentally ill to be sent to Azkaban - though Merlin only knew that was what she deserved. Dumbledore knew, of course, and Moody, and Arthur and Molly Weasley, but no one else. _Sirius knew_, he thought, sickened, _but he is gone_…

Remus had seen Sirius fall. It had seemed to take an age, and he had run forward, heedless of Bellatrix Lestrange, to try to pull him back, but he was too late, too late, too late. He had grabbed Harry instead, stopped him from following. Merlin only knew he could not afford to lose Harry too.

_Once Harry was all that was left of Lily and James,_ Remus thought, _now he is all that is left of Sirius too._

He mentally reproached himself for thinking of Harry like that. _Harry is himself_, he told himself firmly, _and if you think otherwise, you deserve to be locked up in the bed next to your mother._

"Ho, Lupin!"

Remus turned. "Hello, Charlie."

Charlie Weasley came up beside him. "Have you heard the news?"

"What news?"

"I take it you haven't heard yet. Fudge -"

"- has resigned?" Remus said hopefully.

Charlie grinned. "No such luck, unfortunately. No, his daughter -"

"Aemilia?" Remus interrupted.

"You know her?"

"Slightly," Remus admitted. "She was in my year at Hogwarts, but she was in Ravenclaw. I think she was friends with Lily - Harry's mother. Anyway, what about her?"

"She and Fudge have had a very public - how shall I say it? - parting of the ways," Charlie said.

"How do you mean?"

"Oh, the usual. Argument on the doorstep about how Fudge is controlling her life, and she doesn't like it, and she doesn't want to play any part in his stupid political schemes any more. He was trying to marry her off to the new Minister of Magic in America, but -"

"Aemilia didn't want any part of it?" Remus finished.

"Something like that," Charlie replied. "Don't blame her - the American Minister was round at the Ministry the other day, and Dad and Kingsley had dinner with him, and they both said he was a prat. And he's about a hundred years old," he added as an afterthought.

"How very like Aemilia," Remus mused.

"Don't think I'm intruding or anything," Charlie said slowly, "but it sounds like you knew Aemilia Fudge a bit better than 'slightly.'"

Remus shrugged. "There weren't that many people in my year when I went through, and we had a lot of classes with the Ravenclaws. Aemilia had a very distinctive personality."

Charlie looked sideways at Remus as if he didn't believe him, but let it pass. "Anyway, do you think Fudge and Aemilia might have staged it? For some political agenda or something?"

Remus thought about it. "No," he said finally. "It's not only that Aemilia is a damn sight too shrewd, but I also suspect that Fudge is probably a mite too stupid."

"I take it Aemilia isn't like her father, then."

"Not at all. I'd severely doubt the paternity of my daughter, if I were Cornelius Fudge."

Charlie roared with laughter. "Anyway, Lupin, what is it that brings you to Diagon Alley?"

Remus's face fell. "I'm going to Gringotts," he said. "Sirius made me the executor of his will."

Charlie's face fell too. "Oh. Sorry, mate."

"It's all right," Remus replied. He forced himself to smile a little. "But I think I might stop by Weasley's Wizard Wheezes later. I'm afraid nothing can cure me of being a prankster."

Charlie grinned. "Well, Lupin, I must go. I should see whether or not Fred and George have blown up their shop with demonstrations and such yet."

Remus smiled warmly. "Goodbye, Charlie."

As he watched Charlie walk away from him, Remus knew, even though he was surrounded by people, that he was alone.

_I am the last one left,_ he thought.

James was dead. Sirius was gone. Peter was corrupted.

"I am all that remains of the Marauders," he murmured to himself.

Unbidden, a vision of Minerva McGonagall came into his mind. _Remus Lupin_, she scolded him, _if you don't snap out of that, I shall see to it that you get detention for a month!_

Remus smiled wryly. "But you can't give me detention any more, Professor," he murmured. "Too much has changed."

* * *

"Business?" the goblin snapped as Remus stepped up to the counter. 

He pulled the sheaf of parchment that was Sirius's will out of his bag. "My name is Remus Lupin," he said, "and I am the executor of the will of Sirius Black." He passed the will to the goblin.

"Identification, please," the goblin said, not looking up. The pince-nez on his long nose wobbled slightly as he peered at the will.

Remus pulled one of his identification cards out of his wallet. It was his licence from the Werewolf Registry. It was charmed so as to leave no doubt to its verity.

The goblin looked at the card. "You are a werewolf?"

"Yes," Remus replied firmly, "but that is of no consequence. I am well acquainted with the laws regarding werewolves."

The goblin looked at him. "As too am I." He handed Remus's card back and peered back at the will. "Do any intend to dispute this will?"

"No," Remus replied. "You will find all required signatures at the bottom of the will." And signatures there were, three, in red ink as the law required - Remus's, Dumbledore's, and below that, in an untidy scrawl, Harry's.

The goblin peered at it. "Everything seems to be in order, then," he said slowly. "When this will is processed, seven thousand three hundred Galleons will be paid to the account of Albus Dumbledore, the same amount to yourself and the same amount to Harry Potter as well as an eighteenth century violin. Correct?"

"Yes," Remus replied.

"What do you wish to do with the other items in Mr. Black's account, Mr. Lupin?"

Remus looked at him questioningly. "Other items?"

The goblin consulted something in front of him. "On November the 1st, 1981, documents from the vault of Mr. and Mrs. James Potter were delivered to the vault of Mr. Sirius Black."

Remus felt himself start. _Sweet Merlin,_ he thought. _Sirius probably never knew about them - he would have been in Azkaban. Lily and James's documents… Merlin only knows what Dumbledore had them working on when they died._

"Is there… any precedent?" he found himself asking the goblin.

"Yes," the goblin replied. "Under normal circumstances, such documents would be delivered to the scion of the original possessors -"

"-so they would go to Harry," Remus said.

The goblin ignored him and kept going. "-but in this case, the scion is not yet of age, meaning the documents would go to his guardians." He consulted a piece of parchment in front of him. "This means they would come into the possession of Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Dursley."

Remus felt his heart drop. Seeing Lily and James's documents in the hands of those… Muggles… would be almost as bad as seeing Harry in the hands of Lucius Malfoy. "Is there any way to contest this settlement?" he asked the goblin desperately. "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley are Muggles, and I don't think it pertinent that they have wizarding documents of this sort in their hands."

"The settlement could be contested," the goblin replied, "but it could be a lengthy process. Given the nature of these documents, the Wizengamot would be the body of authority."

"And we would need -"

"-a lawyer, yes. If you intend to contest the will, I suggest you speak to the International Magical Office of Law. Good day to you."

"But - what will happen to the documents in the meantime?"

"They will remain in the vault of Mr. Black until such time as a proper settlement has been reached. Under magical law, you have seven days to contest the will and find yourself a counsel."

"The Dursleys - will they be informed?"

"An owl will be dispatched," the goblin snapped. "Good _day_, Mr. Lupin."

Beaten, Remus left the counter. His fists were clenched. _Lily and James's papers in the hands of those wretched Dursleys - I have to tell Dumbledore!_ he thought suddenly, and with a pop! he Disapparated.


	3. Conscience Be Thy Guide

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

________________

"You know, staring at the wall isn't going to make it disappear, Severus, if that's what you're attempting," Dumbledore said.

Severus shook himself out of his reverie. "Sorry, Professor. Just -"

"- thinking?" Dumbledore finished for him.

Severus nodded. "Yes. About -"

"- Sirius?"

Severus restrained the impulse to glare at the Headmaster. "Yes, if you must know, I was thinking about Black."

Dumbledore calmly poured himself a cup of tea. "There is no need to be so defensive, you know, Severus," he said.

Severus sighed. "I know. I just feel…"

Dumbledore remained silent.

"Damn it, the one time I need you to finish my sentence for me, you won't!" 

Dumbledore sipped his tea. "I believe that in the Muggle world, that is called Murphy's Law. Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Besides, I do not think it is necessary that _I _acknowledge how you feel about Sirius. It is, however, necessary that _you_ do."

"I know, Professor," Severus replied - and, somewhere deep down, he did know. "I feel… almost guilty. That we did nothing but snipe at each other for the entire time after his return from Azkaban."

"That was as much his fault as yours, Severus. I hardly expected you to get along like brothers." Dumbledore sipped his tea again. "It is enough that you are sorry that he is gone."

"I _am_ sorry," Severus said, and meant it, "but I can't say that I will miss him every moment of every day or anything like that."

"I know," Dumbledore replied, "and that is perfectly all right. Just don't go expressing those sentiments around Harry, or he'll most likely pull his wand on you."

Severus snorted. "Potter," he said coolly, "had better not, or I will draw _my_ wand on _him_."

"All the better not to provoke the situation," Dumbledore replied, eyes twinkling. 

There was a resounding _clang!_ through the office, and Dumbledore rose from his chair. "We have an expected visitor," he told Severus, "who believes she is unexpected. I must just go and let her in." 

When the Headmaster had left the office, Severus could barely resist the impulse to look around, though he was not, by nature, an impulsive man. Dumbledore's shelves were filled with many intricate objects - some he recognised as modern inventions, others ancient, and some clearly Muggle. Beside the Pensieve that glimmered, opalescent, on one of the lower shelves, was a bright yellow tin marked _Sherbet Lemons_. 

How out of place such a tin would be in his own office! A bright yellow tin in the midst of neatly ordered Potions ingredients, sitting just between Boomslang skin and powdered Billywigs. _Why_, he thought, _it would make the place almost cheerful._

He heard the door snick closed behind him as Dumbledore and the visitor came in. He did not have to ask who it was.

"You haven't washed your hair since 1972, have you, you slimy git?"

Needless to say, Severus was not amused. 

*

"Miss Fudge," he said through gritted teeth, "how nice to see you too."

Aemilia plunked herself down in the chair beside his and then, obviously, drew it as far away from him as she could. "Don't lie, Snape," she told him. "You might as well tell me the sky is green."

Severus looked at her. "Right you are," he said. There was a long silence, then, "Fudge, what the _hell_ are you doing here?"

"None of your business, Snape," she shot back. 

"Aemilia," Dumbledore interjected calmly, eyes twinkling, "what brings you to Hogwarts?"

"My _bloody_ father, that's what!" she answered. "Stupid bastard thinks he can control my life - and I don't want to take it. He's already proven he's a stupid git with the whole Potter business, and I'll be _damned_ if he drags me down with him!"

There was a long silence, then Severus slowly began to applaud. "Oh well _done_, Fudge," he said. "Most convincing. But I'm afraid there is no place for Ministry spies at Hogwarts."

Aemilia glared at him. "You think I'm lying, Snape? Then try me with one of your foul potions! Give me Veritaserum - I don't care! You'll get the same answer out of me, either way!"

"Fine!" Severus pulled a small phial out of his robes. "Drink up!"

"Severus!" Dumbledore barked, shocking both Severus and Aemilia into submission. "Miss Fudge will _not_ be drinking Veritaserum. I believe you, Aemilia," he told her. 

"Thankyou," Aemilia replied, glaring sideways through her lashes at Severus before looking back at the Headmaster. "Anyway, Professor, my dilemma is this: I have broken with my father, which means I have no money. Therefore -"

Severus barely restrained a groan. "Albus, you can _not_ hire her as a teacher. She has no training! No expertise!"

"I passed the Bar examination and spent five years qualifying for the International Magical Office of Law!" Aemilia snapped. "Not qualified my arse!"

"What do you expect to teach? How to negotiate with Death Eaters without breaking the Anti-Violence Convention of 1674?" Severus shot back.

"_Severus!_" Dumbledore barked again. 

Severus lapsed into silence. "Sorry, Professor."

"No, you're bloody not," Aemilia growled.

"_Aemilia,_" Dumbledore said warningly. There was a brief pause before he spoke again. "Now, my dear, what subjects did you take when you were a student at Hogwarts?"

"At NEWT level?"

"No, at first year level," Severus snarled.

Dumbledore ignored him. "Yes, my dear, at NEWT level."

"Defence Against The Dark Arts, Charms, Numerology, Herbology, Advanced Astronomy and Ancient Runes," Aemilia replied. "I wanted to take Muggle Studies instead of Numerology - because I really hated Arithmancy at OWL level - but my father wouldn't let me."

Severus snorted. "Why do I seem to recall a certain someone getting a D in OWL Potions?"

"Why do I seem to recall a certain someone getting a D in OWL Astronomy?" Aemilia retorted.

"Now now, you two," Dumbledore said warningly. "Well, Miss Fudge, we have a vacancy in Defence Against The Dark Arts. Would you like it?"

Severus groaned inwardly. Was Dumbledore going to pass over him for the Defence post _again_?

But he didn't have to worry himself over that much longer. 

"Professor Dumbledore!"

Severus turned. Remus Lupin's head was in the fire.

Dumbledore got up and knelt in front of the fire place. "Hello, Remus," he said. 

"Is it all right if I come through? I've got some rather urgent business to discuss with you."

"No, it is bloody _not_ all right!" Severus snapped. _Don't make me deal with them both, Albus,_ he thought, _or I just might spontaneously combust!_

"Shut _up_, Snape," Aemilia snarled.

"Of course, Remus," Dumbledore said placidly. 

There was an explosion of soot as Remus tumbled from the fireplace. "Bloody hell, Professor," Aemilia said, "you need to clean your flue."

Remus stood up and dusted his robes off - in the usual state of shabbiness, Severus noted. "Professor, when I was -"

"What, so I don't even merit a hello, then," Aemilia snapped.

Remus glanced at her. "Urgent business, Aemilia." He turned back to Dumbledore. "Professor -"

"Even Snape gave me a warmer welcome than that," Aemilia interrupted.

Remus, exasperated, strode over to her and kissed her cheek. "How nice to see you, Aemilia. There. Satisfied? Professor -"

"Well, it's completely pointless _now_, isn't it!? I know now you don't mean it!"

"For the love of Merlin, Aemilia, this is _important_!" Remus barked.

Aemilia folded her arms. "And I'm not important?"

Remus sighed, frustrated. "You _are_ important, Aemilia, but this is extremely urgent! Now, Professor -"

"Nice to know I mean so much to you then, Remus," Aemilia said icily.

"Shut _up_, Fudge!" Severus snapped.

There was a long pause. _I just defended a Marauder,_ Severus thought, half-dazedly.

Aemilia sighed sulkily. "Fine," she snapped, and lapsed into silence.

Remus turned back to Dumbledore. "Professor, I went to Gringotts today."

"Regarding Sirius's will, I assume?" Dumbledore peered at Remus over the top of his half moon spectacles.

"Yes, Professor," Remus replied. "All went as planned - Sirius's money and his violin has been transferred and all that, but there was one thing we didn't know about. That even Sirius didn't know about."

Comprehension seemed to dawn on Dumbledore. "Not…?"

Remus nodded. "Yes, Professor. Sirius had Lily and James's documents in his Gringotts account."

"And of course he wouldn't know," Dumbledore mused, "because the transfer would have happened after he went to Azkaban. He never would have seen Lily and James's will or witnessed it."

"If I may interject," Aemilia said, "not to antagonise you, Remus, but on a matter of legal interest - these documents. If Sirius didn't leave them to anyone in his will, then they should go -"

"- to Harry, yes. But Harry's not of age, so…"

"The documents go to his guardians. The Dursleys," Dumbledore said. "Well, this _is_ interesting."

"What exactly were Potter and Evans researching when they died, Albus?" Severus asked bluntly. "Will it be of any use to the Order? Does it matter that the documents would fall into the hands of these Dursleys?"

"These documents, if Lily and James progressed as far along in their research as their preliminary results showed they might," Dumbledore said slowly, "would be of untold benefit to the Order." There was a pregnant pause. "They were researching death magic. Magic that causes death, why it causes it and how it may be undone or protected against."

Severus slammed his fist down against the desk. "How was Black so damned stupid as not to realise he had them, then?!" he roared.

Remus glared at him, and Severus saw, for a single second, the wolf inside the man's clothing. "Do not," he grated, "speak of Sirius Black that way. Ever."

"Can it be contested?" Dumbledore asked Remus.

"Yes. It can. And it will." The reply came not from Remus, but from Aemilia. 

"Aemilia?" Dumbledore said, sounding mildly surprised.

"I've decided, Professor," Aemilia announced. "I don't want to be a teacher at Hogwarts after all. Give the Defence Against The Dark Arts post to Snape for all I care. I'm a trained lawyer. Let me deal with this."

______________

REVIEW!


	4. As Aromatic Wine It Seemed

"Remind me again why we're here, Aemilia," Remus said.

Aemilia gave him a Look. "You are here," she told him, "because you are the closest thing Harry Potter has to a father figure at present. I am here because I am your lawyer. And Snape is here because he's intimidating."

There was a derisive snort from Severus's direction. 

"No, Aemilia," Remus said, "remind why we're _here_. Here as in hiding under an Invisibility Cloak in the Dursleys' flowerbed instead of knocking on the door like normal people!"

"Because I want to see how they react to getting the owl, you idiot!" Aemilia snapped. "I _know_ they haven't got it yet, because I checked the Gringotts register, and the owl was only sent out this morning, due to arrive at 7:16pm tonight. Gringotts aren't as efficient as they pretend."

"Can you here something outside, Petunia?" _Dursley certainly bellows loudly enough to warn any intruders away. I wonder if that's the idea,_ Remus thought wryly.

"Both of you, shut up!" Severus hissed.

"No, dear, did you?" Petunia Dursley had a voice that would curdle new milk.

Vernon grunted. "Thought I did, but it was probably nothing. The boy's locked in his room - doing _homework,_ he says - so all should be well."

"That's what you think, Dursley," Aemilia whispered. "Look!"

Remus looked up. An owl soared overhead - an owl that was not Harry's Hedwig - and it was headed straight for the Dursleys' kitchen window. _Prepare for fireworks_, he thought, and the owl connected.

Petunia shrieked as shattered glass was sprayed through her kitchen at high velocity, the owl landing with a soft _whump_ on the kitchen table. "Vernon!"

"BOY!" Vernon roared. "BOY, GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Petunia was shaking. "Vernon, it's not addressed to him. It's addressed to - us."

"What?" Harry had arrived in the kitchen, and he didn't sound particularly happy.

Vernon advanced on him. "WHAT," he bellowed, "IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" He thrust the envelope into Harry's hands.

Harry looked at him coolly. "Well, for one," he said, "it's addressed to you, not me, so I don't see how it can be my fault."

"I WON'T TAKE ANY OF YOUR CHEEK, BOY! WHAT THE RUDDY HELL IS IT?"

Harry turned the envelope over and looked at the seal. "It's from Gringotts," he said shortly.

"WHAT THE RUDDY HELL IS THAT?!"

"A BANK!" Harry roared back. Remus was mildly surprised. He hadn't known Harry could yell like that - or, indeed, stand up to his uncle like that. 

"Well - what do they want with us, then?" Vernon demanded, a little less loudly.

"How am I supposed to know? Open the envelope and you just might find out," Harry snarled.

Vernon, after a long and vehement glare at Harry, slit the envelope with his thumb.

"What does it say, Dad?" a fat boy that Remus recognised as Harry's cousin Dudley demanded eagerly.

Aemilia nudged Remus and Severus. "Time to make our move," she whispered, pulling the Invisibility Cloak off them and shoving it into her bag, then knocking sharply on the door of Number Four Privet Drive.

*

"Aemilia Fudge, LLB, International Magical Office of Law Official Representative, Counsel for the case of Remus Lupin regarding the contesting of the will of the late Sirius Black," Aemilia rattled off as soon as Vernon Dursley opened the door, before he had time to so much as grunt, "what?" She flashed her identification and a second document that Remus recognised as an entry warrant in Vernon's face. "Legally, you must invite us in to discuss this case."

"Under what ruddy law?" Vernon demanded.

"Clause 49c), Item vii) in the Legal Requirements regarding the Contesting of Last Will and Testament as stated on this warrant," Aemilia replied.

Vernon appeared stumped. "Well… who are these -" Severus raised an eyebrow and he visibly quivered, "- men?"

"Remus Lupin, Lieutenant of the Order of the Phoenix, contesting the will of Sirius Black," Remus answered firmly, flashing his identification card in Vernon's face.

Severus just looked at Vernon. "Severus Snape," he said silkily, and Vernon visibly cowered.

__

Aemilia was definitely right about Snape being intimidating, Remus thought, as they followed Vernon into the house.

*

Harry's jaw visibly dropped when Remus, Aemilia and Severus walked into the kitchen. "Professor Lupin!" he exclaimed.

Remus hadn't expected Harry to bodily throw himself on him, but he took it in good stead, returning the boy's embrace. "It's good to see you, Harry," he said, patting him on the back gently.

Harry drew back, and Remus saw that his face was tear-stained. He had been crying before Vernon had roared at him to come downstairs, then. "Yes," Harry said simply. He turned away a little. "Uh… hello, Professor Snape."

Severus jerked his head in what Remus supposed might be considered a nod of acknowledgment. "Potter."

Harry looked awkwardly at Aemilia for a second before she took control of the situation. "Aemilia Fudge," she said, taking Harry's hand firmly and shaking it.

Harry looked at her suspiciously. "Fudge? As in Cornelius? The Minister of Magic?"

"Yes. I'm his daughter but he disowned me. Long story, very boring. The long and short of it is that I'm a lawyer, and I'm representing Remus, who is contesting the will of Sirius Black."

"Who in blazes is Sirius Black?" Vernon demanded.

"My godfather," Harry replied shortly.

Vernon's eyes practically lit up. "So this infamous godfather of yours got himself killed, eh?"

In a flash, Remus had his wand out, pointed at Vernon. "If you ever speak about Sirius Black like that again," he growled, "you will have to deal with me."

"And why in blazes should I be afraid of you?" Vernon demanded.

"You obviously didn't look very closely at my identification card, did you?" Remus snarled. "Take a closer look." He thrust the card at Vernon.

"W-werewolf?" Vernon stammered.

Remus smiled the lazy smile he knew made him look wolfish. "Yes," he said. "So I think you agree it would be wise not to insult Sirius Black in my presence." _Low blow, Remus_, he thought, but it had, at least, worked.

Sweat beaded on Vernon's brow and began to trickle down his face. Dudley gave a frightened whimper and scuttled behind his mother. For an eerie moment, Dudley reminded Remus of Peter Pettigrew.

"All - all right, then," Vernon stammered, and Remus tucked his wand back into the sleeve of his robes.

"Let's get this over with, then," Aemilia said brightly, breaking an awkward silence. "I'm sure you're a reasonable man, Mr. Dursley, so this shouldn't be too much trouble." 

__

Wise move, Aemilia, Remus mentally applauded her. _Flattery will get you places that intimidation won't._

"What - what appears to be the problem, then?" Vernon asked, wiping the sweat of his face with a rather large handkerchief.

"At the death of Mr. James and Mrs. Lily Potter - heaven rest their souls - certain papers were transferred from their possession to the account of Mr. Sirius Black, who was Mr. Potter's best friend," Aemilia explained, maintaining a smile Remus was sure would break her cheekbones. "However, the late Mr. Black was arrested before he could be informed of these papers, and consequently, on his own death -" Harry sobbed and turned away, hiding his face, "- these papers were unaccounted for in his will."

"Don't see how it concerns us," Vernon grunted.

If anything, Aemilia's smile grew even wider. "Well, you see, this is where the problem is. Under law, these papers should pass to the heir of Mr. and Mrs. Potter - who is of course, Master Harry." She indicated Harry with a nod of her head. "However, due to certain other legal requirements, the papers need to pass to someone of age, which Master Harry is not. Therefore, they pass to you, as his legal guardians."

Remus could see the wheels in Vernon's mind turning. "And you want us to give these papers to you."

"That's the long and short of it, yes," Aemilia replied.

"And why should I do that?" Vernon began to smile, and Remus's heart sank. _Sweet Merlin, don't play games with us, Dursley! You are playing games with more lives than you know!_

"These papers contain certain information that would be of immense use to the Order of the Phoenix, given the nature of the research of Mr. and Mrs Potter at the time they died." Remus could almost hear Aemilia's determination not to falter.

"What's in blazes is the ruddy Order of the Phoenix?" Vernon demanded.

"Have you ever heard of Voldemort, Mr. Dursley?" Much as Remus hated to admit Severus Snape was good at _anything_, he was certainly good at intimidation. 

"Yes," Vernon snapped, "and he's no concern of mine."

"NO CONCERN OF YOURS?" Harry yelled. "HE BLOODY WILL BE YOUR CONCERN WHEN HE COMES AND KILLS YOU!"

"DON'T YOU SPEAK LIKE THAT TO ME, BOY, OR I'LL RUDDY KILL _YOU!_" Vernon roared back, advancing menacingly on Harry.

In an instant, Remus's wand was out and pointed at Vernon. "You _will not_ touch the boy!" he snarled.

"Unless, of course," Severus added delicately, his voice containing traces of steel under the silk, "you wish to be prosecuted for assault by the _formidable_ Miss Fudge here."

Harry looked at Remus, confused. _Why is Snape protecting me?_ Remus could almost hear him think. 

He wasn't sure he knew why himself.

"The Order of the Phoenix," Aemilia said, although she must have known that Vernon would be far more preoccupied with Remus's wand pointing at his throat than what she was saying, "is a coalition of wizards fighting against Voldemort. A resistance effort, you might say. The consequences, if Voldemort were to be triumphant, would be dire, even for non-magical people like yourselves."

"And these papers of my sister," Petunia squeaked, "would be… useful?"

"Yes, Mrs. Dursley," Aemilia replied. "Extraordinarily useful. They might even turn the course of the war. Which is why we need them."

"If we were to give you these papers," Vernon asked slowly, still staring at Remus's wand, "what would we have to do?"

"Merely sign this paper." Aemilia pulled a piece of parchment out of her bag. She nodded at Remus, and he pocketed his wand again.

Vernon picked up the paper and examined it. "So, if I sign this, I give up all claim to these papers of the boy's parents?"

"Yes," Aemilia answered. 

"The papers would then pass into my hands," Remus added.

Vernon looked up from the paper to Aemilia, and, as a smile spread across his face, Remus knew, with a sickening crunch, what he was going to do. "You know," Vernon said, still smiling, "I don't think I will sign this." 

And he tore the writ in half.

*

"Mr. Dursley," Severus said, voice still mellifluous but hard, "do you understand what you are doing?"

"Your lot have mucked about in my life long enough," Vernon replied maliciously, "and now I'm going to muck about in yours."

"You are risking _lives_, Mr. Dursley!" Remus exclaimed. 

Petunia tugged at her husband's arm. "Vernon," she whispered urgently, "don't you think it would be better if you just gave them what they wanted? What possible use can my sister's papers be to us?"

"No, Petunia," Vernon told her. "I'm going to stick to my guns. You can't have your ruddy papers," he told Aemilia, "so you can get out of my house now."

Aemilia's eyes hardened. "I am a _lawyer_, Mr. Dursley," she told him. "Do you really think it would be that easy to get rid of me?" She pulled another piece of parchment from her bag. "This, Mr. Dursley, is a subpoena. If you will not willingly hand over the Potters' papers to me, then I will contest you for them in a court of law. On August the 14th at the Ministry of Magic, to be precise. In front of the entire Wizengamot."

"WHAT?" Vernon roared. "A COURT OF - YOUR LOT?"

"Yes, Mr. Dursley," Aemilia replied, "a court of _our lot_, subject to our laws. That is, of course, unless you wish to sign the papers over to Mr. Lupin willingly."

"Vernon," Petunia whispered, tugging on his shirt sleeves, "perhaps it would be wise -"

"NO!" Vernon bellowed. "I'M NOT GIVING YOU YOUR RUDDY PAPERS!"

Aemilia looked at him sharply. "Fine," she said. "I shall expect to see you in court, then, Mr. Dursley."

"A Portkey will be provided for you on August the 13th," Severus added, his voice honeyed and unpleasant. 

"What's a Portkey?" Dudley squeaked.

Severus fixed Dudley with a stare that Remus suspected would have melted more cauldrons than Neville Longbottom. "You are a dunderhead, Master Dursley," he told Dudley, "and I am exceedingly glad I do not have the responsibility of teaching you."

"Don't talk to Dudley like that!" Vernon snapped, putting his arm round Dudley's immense shoulders. 

Severus's eyes glittered menacingly. "Like father like son," he commented icily.

"Anyway," Aemilia cut in before Severus could antagonise the Dursleys further, "a Portkey - a sort of transportation device - to Hogwarts will be provided for you on August the 13th so you may spend time with your counsel. However, as you are Muggles, the Wizengamot will choose your counsel for you." She glared at Vernon menacingly. "I would spend time reading up on wizarding laws, if I were you, Mr. Dursley," she said frostily. "You'll need it." And with a pop! she Disapparated, leaving Dudley and Petunia gaping and Vernon too stunned to speak.

Severus fixed Vernon with a glacial glare. "I trust you will find the hospitality of Hogwarts adequate, Mr. Dursley," he said, before he too Disapparated.

Remus found himself alone in the kitchen, with all three Dursleys staring at him and Harry standing mute by his side. "Harry," he said, "if you need anything - I know I'm not Sirius, but - don't hesitate to owl me," he said gently. "And don't you try to stop him," he threw over his shoulder to Vernon, "or Severus Snape will be paying you a far less cordial visit." An empty threat, Remus knew, but he doubted Vernon would call his bluff.

"Professor," he heard Harry ask tentatively, "can I - can I come back with you?"

"I'm afraid not, Harry," Remus replied. "Dumbledore has forbidden it for now - but I'm working on it and so is Molly Weasley." He drew the boy into another embrace. "Don't let the Muggles get you down," he whispered into Harry's ear.

He drew back, smiled at Harry, and then Disapparated, leaving behind him, he imagined, a very, very angry Vernon Dursley. 


	5. Two Smiles An Angel Might Envy

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Thanks to all the reviewers… and review some more! And don't worry… the mystery of Regina will make a return to the story!

_________________

Aemilia slammed another large codex down on the table, making it shake violently, upsetting ink all over Severus's painstakingly copied notes for his incoming Seventh Years.

__

Another person, Severus thought, _would say 'would you _mind?'_ in an exceedingly condescending tone to that rudeness._

"Fudge," he said shortly, "stop that, or you will find Skrzynecki's Serum in your pumpkin juice tonight."

Aemilia looked at him. "Laxatives, Snape? Low, even for you."

"If you have _quite_ finished insulting my nobility," he snarled, "what exactly are you looking up in that book? I doubt you're going to find information pertinent to the lawsuit in _Magical Musical Melodies._"

"And I think that _I_ am the lawyer here, not you," she snapped, "so you can stop concerning yourself in my business!"

"Well, please refrain from spilling ink all over my notes, then!" Severus took out his wand. "_Scourgify!_" The ink blot disappeared but so too did all of his painstakingly copied recipe, and he cursed under his breath.

"Charms letting you down, eh Snape?" Aemilia commented snidely.

As he gathered up his sheafs of parchment and codices to move to a spot far, far away from that damnably irritating Aemilia Fudge, Severus considered that perhaps instead of inflicting Skrzynecki's Serum on her, he should give her Keller's Concoction. How he would love to see her struggling about unable to speak, even for a short while.

*

"Any progress, Miss Fudge?" Kingsley Shacklebolt asked Aemilia at dinner that night. Dumbledore had invited the better part of the Order of the Phoenix - except Mundungus Fletcher and Nymphadora Tonks, who were watching over Harry - to dinner at Hogwarts that night, and Severus wished he hadn't. _Who was the fool,_ he thought vehemently, _that thought Fred and George Weasley would be a valuable addition to the Order?_

"The case is coming together quite well," Aemilia replied, swallowing a mouthful of pumpkin juice - which Severus had not, in the end, added either Skrzynecki's Serum or Keller's Concoction to. "We definitely have a leg to stand on - more than one, I'd say. Where's Remus?" she asked suddenly, looking round for him.

"St. Mungo's," Arthur Weasley replied. "There's a werewolf fellow there at the moment - or rather, one that's just been bitten - and ever since his success with that bloke in December when he was visiting me -" he beamed as if the whole enterprise was due to him, "- they've taken him on at a small salary as a part-time counsellor."

"Considering that nasty Anti-Werewolf legislation that was put through not long ago," Kingsley said thoughtfully, "I suppose that would be good employment for him."

"Bloody Umbridge," George Weasley said vehemently.

There was a murmur of similar sentiment round the table.

"There is talk at the office that she will be appointed Counsel for the Dursley family, you know," Aemilia said thoughtfully.

"WHAT?" Fred and George Weasley yelled in unanimity.

"Highly interesting," Dumbledore mused.

"I wasn't aware she passed the Bar examination," McGonagall said. 

"Oh, she has," Aemilia said. "She was in her last year when I was in my first - but I think she all but abandoned being a lawyer when she was employed personally by my father a few years ago. She's out of practice, but she used to fight fiercely, I've heard."

__

Probably dirtily too, Severus thought sardonically. 

"Fah," Moody snorted. "Umbridge is a bloody weasel, that's what - no offence nor pun intended on your name, Weasley," he added to Arthur. 

"She certainly isn't the most… savoury of characters," Professor Flitwick offered.

Moody snorted again. "She's savoury and I've won Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award. I'd have someone keep an eye on her, Albus," he said to Dumbledore. "After what she did last year, what with sending those Dementors after Potter like that, I wouldn't be surprised if she's gone over."

__

He would not have her if she did, Severus thought. _The Dark Lord is more… discerning than that. _Inwardly, he winced at the thought of exactly how discerning Voldemort could be, but refused to let it show on the outside. Merlin only knew he could not afford to show weakness, no matter where he was.

"Rest assured it has been taken care of, Alastor," Dumbledore said placidly. 

Moody grunted. "I trust ye, Dumbledore, but you better make sure it's taken care of. Constant vigilance!" he barked suddenly, making Aemilia and Flitwick both jump.

"Always so, Alastor," Dumbledore told him calmly. 

*

"Hello, mother."

Arethusa Lupin glared at her son as he pulled up a chair and sat by her bedside, but she could not speak. _Even a Silencio charm would not shut her up,_ Remus thought idly. _It had to be the old leather between the teeth, didn't it, Mother?_

"It's been three months since I bothered coming to see you last, Mother, did you realise? Though I doubt you cared much."

Arethusa shook her head violently. _No Remus, I did not care,_ he could almost hear her say. 

"A lot of things have changed in those three months, you know, Mother," Remus said conversationally, leaning back in his chair and folding his hands over his stomach. "I have a job - aren't you proud of me? I work downstairs with the werewolf victims. I even have a little name badge that says _Remus Lupin, Counsellor._ Of course, the pay isn't much - it isn't even half of what I was getting paid that year I taught at Hogwarts - but it suffices. It pays the bills."

Arethusa glared at him. He had expected nothing less. Or more, really.

"And you know what? For the first time in my life, Mother, I finally saw the infamous veil."

He could practically see her ears twitch with excitement, and it disgusted him.

"That's right, Mother, I went to the Department of Mysteries, haring after Harry Potter. You remember Harry, I assume. James's son. I've told you a lot about him over the years."

__

I may have told you a lot about Harry, he thought, _but I've told him nothing about you. Another skeleton in my closet, Mother, that I must hide from him. I've let him think it was me being a werewolf that led Sirius to think I was the spy just before Lily and James died. But it was you, Mother, it was you. Who could seriously trust someone with such a criminal for a mother?_

"And Sirius, my best friend left in this world, fell through. Duelling with Bellatrix Lestrange. He wasn't bad, Mother, he wasn't bad at all, but the veil still ate him. I - I tried to follow him, but - but I couldn't. I was too late. He was gone, and I had to stop Harry following him. And all that was left, Mother? All that was left was the whispers. And - and he was gone."

And, finally, burying his head on his knees, under his mother's frigid gaze, Remus wept.

*

"- and so, it exploded!" Charlie Weasley finished, leaving most of the table, including Dumbledore, snorting into their soup.

Severus sighed. _I wish I could find simple stories like that funny,_ he thought, _but I'm far too jaded._ Idly, he played with his spoon, and it bent in his fingers, twisting into a sort of circle.

"Hello, everyone," came Remus's voice as he walked in the door. He sounded quite cheerful, but Severus's sharp eyes picked out shining tracks on his cheeks - he had been crying.

__

For Black, I assume, Severus thought dryly, but little of his old bitterness remained. He really had, he realised, meant it when he said he was sorry that Sirius Black was dead.

__

Dead? Or gone? Severus thought suddenly.

He'd never really thought much about how exactly the veil in the Department of Mysteries worked, though, after his father's death, it had haunted his nightmares often enough. It was clearly some kind of portal, but the question was, where to?

__

Even Dumbledore has no idea what comes after death, he thought. _How many times have I heard him say that death is only the next big adventure?_

He cast about for what he remembered about the construction of portals. _A place to a place, surely,_ he thought. _Not a place to a state like death. And - the whispers!_

Could it be - that the people behind the veil…

…were alive?

*

Remus took the last remaining seat at the table, quite close to where Severus was sitting, but, Severus noted, quite a long way from Aemilia. He wondered if he had Fate or Albus Dumbledore to thank for that one.

"All well at St. Mungo's, Remus?" Flitwick asked.

Remus smiled tiredly. "Quite well, thankyou, Filius. It is good to have paid work again."

Severus chose that moment to sip from his goblet. He knew it was his fault that Remus had resigned from the Defence Against The Dark Arts position - if he hadn't 'accidentally' let slip that Remus was a werewolf, it was likely he would have stayed on.

He didn't pretend to feel regret, but he supposed, for the first time, that it must be difficult to be in Remus's position - shunned wherever he went, discriminated against by narrow-minded people like Umbridge. A fault to exploit or choose not to. 

He had exploited it. Viciously.

__

Sirius Black tried to exploit Lupin's lycanthropy as well, a little voice hissed in his head. 

Severus shook it away. _I am not in a mood to think on the so-called heroism of James Potter tonight,_ he told it vehemently. Instead, he forced himself to concentrate on the conversation around him as a kind of distraction, albeit white noise.

"- bloody lawsuits," Moody was growling. "Why dinna ye just threaten the Muggle, Miss Fudge?"

"Because that would improve our case _so much_," Aemilia said dryly. "You know the law, Mr. Moody. It's illegal to coerce Muggles into lawsuits."

Moody grunted. "Muggle law ain't my strong point, Miss."

"Some would say that law itself isn't your strong point, Mad-Eye," Professor McGonagall commented, eliciting laughs all round, including from Moody.

"My way might not be legal sometimes, but it _works_, and that's what matters, Minerva," Moody said. 

"Just like the Arachniae and their aphrodisiacs, eh?" Kingsley Shacklebolt said sardonically. "Not legal, but it works."

Out of the corner of his eye, Severus saw Remus suddenly go very still.

"Can someone please inform me," Fred Weasley said, "who in hell the Arachniae are?"

"Priestesses of Arachne," Kingsley replied. "One of the last real clergies left in the Wizarding World, but very reclusive. Powerfully magic, though, but their methods are highly illegal."

Remus's hands were starting to shake, Severus noted.

"Why?"

"Narcotic abuse," Kingsley replied. "Their potions make you not only -" Kingsley tapped two fingers to the side of his nose, and Fred guffawed, "but high. Ministry hates them. There's been more of them arrested and sent to Azkaban over the years than Death Eaters."

Abruptly, Remus let out an animalistic howl that sent shivers down Severus's spine - and it took a lot to send shivers down Severus's spine. Primal, primitive, it betrayed the wolf that lurked under his skin, waiting to come out at the moon's provocation. Without a further word, Remus pushed his chair back from the table violently and almost ran out of the room. His hands were bleeding where his nails - long and sharp as every werewolf - had dug into his hands.

"What did I say?" Kingsley said, looking around.

Dumbledore sighed. "Perhaps, Mr. Shacklebolt, Mr. Weasley -" he looked at Kingsley and Fred in turn, "it would be best not to bring up the Arachniae in front of Remus. Ever."

________________

REVIEW!

Next chapter… we finally see Sirius and the mysterious Regina again!


	6. Interlude: An Inaccessible Mountain

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: If this seems a little weird and perhaps hard to understand - don't worry. It's supposed to be like that. All will be revealed in the end and it will all make sense… 

While you're waiting for the next chapter of 'The Space Between The Stars' go check out my other fics. I wouldn't bother with 'Bittersweet' as I don't think it's too great, but 'Fragile' and 'Tempest' are worth a read… and please, read 'Cheese' - it hasn't been reviewed very much, but I love it (in a very authorial, modest kind of way, of course!)

Thankyou to all who have been reviewing thus far - keep it up!

___________________

"I cannot believe that you are here in this place with me."

Many moments later now, beside her once more as he had been beside her so long ago. Idly, he wondered how many moments had passed outside. He wished he had his violin. Long ago, outside, Regina had loved the music he could call forth from its strings.

"I never knew, Reggie," he whispered to her, glorying in her name, so long unspoken, on his lips. "I never knew this happened to you. None of us did. You disappeared… and it was like a piece of everyone's heart disappeared, from that day forth. James, Lily, Remus most of all… we all started to die a little that day." 

"And you?" she asked him.

He smiled at her. "Of course, Reggie. Of course."

Tears were pouring down her cheeks, winking like little stars in the middle of a galaxy of night. "If I must endure this eternal night," she whispered, "at least I can endure it with you."

"No, Reggie," he told her gently. "You mustn't think like that."

She raised her eyebrow. "It's the truth, Sirius. You know that. There is no escape from beyond the veil."

"No, Reggie, you don't understand," he told her urgently. "It's different now." He pulled out his wand. "Every one of you here was stripped of your power when you passed through the veil. But I still have my wand."

Her eyes glittered with sudden understanding. "A new thread on Arachne's loom."

He nodded. "We are no longer outside the tapestry, Reggie. Where magic is, destiny follows. We are not outside of Fate any more, for we have magic, and with magic, anything can happen."

As if to prove his point, Sirius took a piece of blank parchment from his pocket, placed it on the blackness that passed as the ground in the Void, and pointed his wand at it. "_Incendio!_"

"So civilisation begins," Regina murmured. "With fire."

Sirius nodded. "Let there be light," he whispered. 

*

The Void, lit now by Sirius's _Incendio_ charm, was exposed.

"How do you think it was constructed?" Sirius asked Regina, his arm around her, the weird unlight of his fire catching the gold in her hair. 

Her brow furrowed. "I don't remember being taught about it -"

He sighed. "Neither do I."

"- but," she interrupted. "I think I know one or two things that might help. Or one or two people, more specifically." She leaned closer to Sirius, the weird unlight of his fire flickering in her hair. "Aberforth Dumbledore and Janus Snape."

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REVIEW!


	7. Roses In December

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: This chapter is full of angst. There is so much angst you won't know what to do with it. This chapter is, pretty much, the emotional spring-cleaning of Remus Lupin. Hence the angst. However, I very much doubt later chapters will hold anywhere this amount of angst. And now I have said the word 'angst' so many times that I'm getting angsty.

Also, this chapter has a lot of metaphors and mythological references. If you don't get them, let me know. 

And if things don't seem to be making too much sense - do not fear! It isn't supposed to be making too much sense - yet. It will all come together in the end, do not fear!

__________________

He did not know where he was going till he got there.

Blood was pouring from his hands. _Christ, post-crucifixion,_ he thought, and wiped them down his robes. _More stains, more soiling then, for shabby Remus Lupin._

The Room of Requirement opened its door to him and he sank down in an armchair, face buried in his bleeding hands.

__

Why in Merlin's name did Shacklebolt have to bring up the Arachniae?! he mentally screamed. _Why now, why today, after seeing _her?

The voice of his mother rose like a spectre in his mind. _She was bad,_ Arethusa Lupin whispered, _and so I took her_.

"No," Remus whimpered.

__

The veil, whispering with Arethusa's voice, terrifying as the full moon at Easter, Sirius, falling, falling, falling.

Life. Death. Pain and torture. Loss and agony.

What was there to live for?

Bleeding hands. Crucified, dying for the sins of others, of his mother, of the wolf that bit him, of himself.

Why was there life, if it was only to end?

Why was there only one beginning, and so many endings?

Why was the thread of his life woven about with threads of death?

__

You hold my thread in your hand, Arachne, but you cut them short.

The Moerae. One to spin, one to weave, one to cut. _The sisters of Fate, who create the individual destiny of us all._

And then, looming high above, Arachne wove her web.

And he died. And she died. 

While Remus died inside.

*

"Remus."

Curled around his pain, Remus barely heard the voice. But yet it came again, insistent as the full moon.

"Remus."

She was sitting in front of him, stroking his hair away from his sweat-soaked brow. "I'm here, Remus."

He drew a great, shuddering breath, and another, and another. "I'm sorry."

She laughed gently. _I do _not_ deserve this, _he thought. "Remus, it's not your fault."

He looked at her sharply. "You know? About - what happened, sixteen years ago?"

She nodded. "Yes. I know."

"Dumbledore?"

Wordlessly, she nodded. She shifted her body, so that Remus's head was practically in her lap.

__

Remus, my boy, it's a bad thing that's happened to you, but you're strong. His father, this time, with young Remus's head in his lap. _There's plenty of strong men who've been bit just like you, and are none the worse for it, really._ _You'll learn to live with it._

__

Except I never did learn to live, Father, he thought, _when they died._

"Your hands are bleeding," she told him matter-of-factly. Gently, she took his right hand in both of hers.

__

Too pure for me, he thought. _Always too pure_. 

Gently, she stroked his wrist, coaxing his fist to unclench. "Sweet Merlin, Remus, you're a self mutilator," she muttered under her breath, picking slivers of fingernail out of the open wound.

That encouraged visions of the wolf in his mind, always waiting, hiding inside his skin, to come out at the full moon. _The moon shows me for what I am. A monster. A demon. A creature of the dark._

"_Accio_ banner," she called, and one of Harry's old red and gold banners from the DA came flying off the wall. He thought he recognised the handiwork of Ginny Weasley there. Matter-of-factly, she reduced the banner into scraps, binding one tightly around Remus's hand. 

__

One to spin, one to weave, one to cut.

And Arachne weaving her web.

"Give me your other hand, Remus," she told him gently, and wordlessly, he obeyed.

__

Gold and scarlet bandages. A weakling wrapped in gold and scarlet, Gryffindor colours hiding the monster and the coward inside.

"Do you -" she paused, perhaps realising the inadequacy of her words, "- want to talk about it?"

__

James and Sirius, second year. Remus, curled into a foetal ball in his bed. "Remus," Sirius had asked carefully, "do you want to talk about it?"

"You don't know what it's like," he breathed, mirroring his words to Sirius all those years ago.

__

Of course we don't know what it's like, James had said. But all that matters, Remus, is who you are. We don't care that you're a werewolf.

They hadn't cared, but she had.

"You cannot keep secrets from me, Remus!" she had shrieked.

"I - I didn't want to hurt you!" he had answered defensively. Merlin only knew how much he loved her, how much he could not stand to lose her.

"Well, it looks like you failed then," she shot back, and he knew then, even before she said it. "It's over, Remus."

"No, I don't know what's it's like," Aemilia Fudge said, stroking his hair, "but I can be here for you, Remus. The least I can offer you is that."

"Ae - Aemilia," he whispered.

"I'm here, Remus."

__

It's over, Remus.

"I'll always be here when you need me."

__

I never want to see you again.

"Aemilia…"

"Shhh, Remus," she said soothingly. "You don't have to say anything."

"I - I'll only hurt you, Aemilia," he whispered. 

__

I didn't want to hurt you!

Well, it looks like you failed then!

"I'm a big girl, Remus," she told him. "I'll make my own decisions,"

"Aemilia…"

__

Three times is magic. 

One to spin, one to weave, one to cut.

"You poor man," she murmured. "You have been through so much."

__

Sirius, falling, falling, falling…

It's over, Remus.

She was bad, and so I took her.

"People only get hurt when they know me," he breathed.

"But you have been hurt so much worse in return," she said, "and I have not helped you, my poor Remus."

__

Well, it looks like you failed then!

"I hurt you, Aemilia."

"But I hurt you so much worse, Remus," she whispered.

__

It's over, Remus.

"I should have told you."

"No," she said gently, "I should have understood."

__

You cannot keep secrets from me, Remus!

We don't care that you're a werewolf.

And, for the first time in his life, Remus Lupin let someone else shoulder his burden.

And then, absolved, he slept.

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REVIEW!


	8. An Interpretation Of Necessity

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: I'm glad you all liked Remus and his angst from last chapter… now, to change the tone a bit, we have our favourite Potions Master being (surprise, surprise) snarky. Again, if there's stuff that doesn't seem to be fitting together, stuff that's confusing… I probably meant it that way. All shall be revealed… eventually.

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"Gillyweed," Severus muttered, "and then - oh, blast!"

Steam began to froth over the lip of the cauldron. He dived under his desk as the potion exploded.

"Bloody volatile potions," he cursed, then pulled out his wand. "_Evanesco!_"

The dungeon was clean again - or at least, Severus considered, as clean as the dungeon was ever going to be. Even _Evanesco_ could not remove some of the lingering chemical odours of the ingredients he used, giving the dungeon - and, indeed, most of the lower floor - a most unfortunate lingering bouquet.

__

There are times when I severely lament my sense of smell, Severus thought, setting a new cauldron over the burner. The old one now had a massive hole in the side due to the potion's explosion. 

"Knock knock," came an altogether too cheerful voice at his door.

He sighed. "What do you want, Fudge?"

Aemilia came in, and he was surprised to see silvery tear tracks down her cheeks. Her voice, however, was as matter-of-fact and lively as it always was. "No need to sound so long-suffering," she told him. "I haven't come down here to propose to you or anything. I'm looking for a Dreamless Sleep Draught. I suppose you couldn't make one for me, could you?"

"I suppose I could," Severus replied diplomatically, "if you tell me what it's for."

Aemilia sighed. "Fine. You start making it and I'll tell you while you - cook, or whatever it is you do with potions." 

"Brew," he corrected her resignedly, and opened his a cupboard, pulling down jars of nasty smelling ingredients.

"Where should I start?" Aemilia asked - more to herself than to Severus.

"You could start at the very beginning," Severus replied, tipping a careful measure of crushed water beetles into the cauldron. "It's a very good place to start."

Aemilia looked at him in shock. "Severus Snape!" she exclaimed. "Did you just make - a joke?"

Severus smiled. "Perhaps I did."

"What happened to the bit where we snipe at each other?"

"Too tired to engage in verbal warfare, Fudge, though I'll kindly oblige in the morning if you ask prettily enough. Now start talking."

"Well," Aemilia said, sounding as if she were weighing her words very carefully, "the draught is for Remus, in case you didn't know. He's in a bit of a state."

"That I gathered," Severus said shortly, whisking the contents of the cauldron with his wand then carefully wiping it on a rag. 

"How much do you know - about Remus?" Aemilia asked cautiously. 

"I know about his connection with the Arachniae, if that's what you mean," Severus replied, fanning away the silvery mist that was beginning to rise from the cauldron. "Damn shame it was too."

Aemilia looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"The girl was the damn finest potions brewer this side of the Atlantic," Severus answered. "If she had lived up to her potential, she could have been magnificent. But no," he spat venomously, "she had to go and get all - religious - and disappear off into the woods with those bloody priestesses and mix up their narcotics for them. Waste of talent."

"Sounds like you appreciated her more than anyone has ever given you credit for," Aemilia commented dryly.

Severus looked at her sharply. "I don't think I want to know what you're insinuating, Fudge," he said severely, "and I doubt I would have ever lived up to your insinuation. She and I disliked each other quite violently, to tell the truth. We were... rivals, you might say."

"So the spats in the hallways weren't just for show, then?"

Severus raised his eyebrow. "How do you know about that?"

Aemilia laughed, although it was not her usual ringing laughter. "You must be getting slow in your old age, Snape. I was in your year, remember?"

Severus was mightily grateful that the steam rising from the cauldron hid his face, because he turned red. "I'd quite forgotten," he replied coolly. "I believe it's called wishful thinking."

"Mark the return of Severus the Snarky," Aemilia noted dryly. 

"Get back to your point, Fudge, whatever it was," he snapped.

"Fine," she snapped back. "Well, you know about the Arachniae, so there's not too much explaining to be done. That comment of Shacklebolt's tonight just sent him over the edge. Ever since Sirius died… I think he's been bottling all his pain up inside himself and tonight the floodgate burst. I sat with him for over an hour and from what I gathered, he was practically torturing himself with every bad memory he could think of."

"Lycanthropy?" Severus asked, pouring a reddish liquid into the cauldron.

Aemilia nodded. "A lot of that - but I realised tonight Remus has had a harder life than anyone I know. The lycanthropy alone would be enough to send any sane man over the edge. Remus has had to deal with so much more than that."

"Yourself?" Severus asked carefully.

Aemilia sighed. "I'm certainly part of the problem, that's for sure. But there's far more to it than that. He has lost just about everyone he has ever loved. First there was me, then - her - and his mother, and -"

"Wait," Severus interrupted. "His mother?"

Aemilia looked at him sideways. "You don't know about his mother?"

"I assume he had one," Severus remarked dryly.

"Of course he had one!" Aemilia snapped. "That's the problem, really," she added under her breath.

Severus looked up sharply. "He doesn't have an Oedipus complex, does he?"

"No, of course not!" Aemilia answered. "More the opposite, really."

Severus quirked an eyebrow. "The opposite?"

"Well - Severus, this really isn't my secret to tell, so you'll understand that I can only give you the bare bones," Aemilia warned him. 

"Of course," he replied, adding a fine grey powder to the potion.

"Remus hates his mother," Aemilia told him. "Hates her more than any person in the world - including Peter Pettigrew, I should imagine. And I don't blame him."

"Why?" Severus asked.

Aemilia sighed. "Severus," she said, "Remus's mother is criminally insane."

*

After Aemilia had left, three bottles of Dreamless Sleep Draught in her hands, Severus sat down at his desk and began to think.

__

Criminally insane, eh? That is harsh.

He remembered Remus's mother, very slightly. He had only ever spoken to her once, his very first day at Hogwarts. He had come through the barrier at Platform Nine and Three Quarters at a run and smacked right into her, trolley and all.

She had looked at him very sharply then turned to the mousy haired boy on her other side and said, _"Remus, that is an example of bad behaviour. And you know what happens to people that are bad."_

I suppose that's where my dislike of the Marauders dates from, Severus thought. _Being insulted by Lupin's mother before I even spoke a word to one of the infamous four themselves._

So. That tall elegant woman with the sleek dark hair was now locked up in St. Mungo's, by the sound of what Aemilia had said.

But even there, she would not leave Remus alone. The scars ran too deep.

"Knut for your thoughts, Severus?"

Severus looked up. "Come in, Albus," he said tiredly.

"Dreamless Sleep Draught?" Dumbledore asked, taking up a chair near Severus's desk.

"How did you - oh, you can smell it," Severus said. "Yes, it's Dreamless Sleep Draught. Fudge came down and begged some for Lupin."

"It was an unfortunate incident tonight at dinner," Dumbledore remarked, "but perhaps there will be some benefit to it, after all."

Severus quirked an eyebrow. "I can hardly see how an incapacitated Lupin will help matters at this stage, Albus."

"What I am hoping," Dumbledore said delicately, "is that it may harden his nerves a little. The Arachniae are, I fear, going to be a lot more prevalent over the next year."

"What do you - oh NO, Albus!" Severus exclaimed. "You've hired one, haven't you?"

Dumbledore nodded. "I have indeed," he replied. 

"For…?"

"Defence Against the Dark Arts," Dumbledore replied. "That's why I came down here, actually."

Severus felt his heart sink. "You want me to -"

"- fetch her, yes," Dumbledore said. "And soon. I would like you to leave tomorrow, Severus - and you must be back in time for the lawsuit."

"You're plotting something," Severus accused.

Dumbledore smiled and his eyes twinkled over the top of his half-moon spectacles. "Yes, my dear Severus, I am plotting something, but I'm afraid I'm not going to tell you what it is."

Severus sighed. "I don't really care," he lied - and he knew Dumbledore knew he was lying, but trusted the Headmaster to let it pass. "What do you want me to do?"

"Well, it's quite simple, really," Dumbledore replied. "You Apparate to Telae Domus, fetch the new teacher - her name is Helena Seraphim, by the way - and bring her back."

"But?" Severus asked. "I know there's a but, Albus. There's always a but with you."

"My employment of Miss Seraphim," Dumbledore replied, "is conditional. This is why I need you to go, and not Kingsley or Mundungus."

Severus rested his chin on his long fingers. "Go on."

"At this time of year," Dumbledore said, "the Arachniae traditionally partake of a potion."

"How unusual," Severus muttered.

"This potion is special, however," Dumbledore continued, choosing to ignore Severus's snide remark. "It is the only potion they drink during the year that is brewed by a man - the only potion they ever drink that is made by a man."

"And in return for this priestess teaching here, they want someone to make the potion," Severus sighed. "And you volunteered me."

"Well, yes." Dumbledore beamed. "I trust I have your consent?"

"Of course, Albus," Severus replied tiredly. "I'll leave tomorrow morning."

But inside, he was wondering what the _hell_ he had just condemned himself to.

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REVIEW!


	9. Thy Cradle Not Thy Prison

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: A few of you have asked me who the Arachniae are. Now, I can't be giving away all of their secrets or it will spoil the plot, but I will tell you this much:

The Arachniae are one of the last real clergies (ie. groups of priests/priestesses) left in the wizarding world. They worship the Goddess Arachne, who weaves the tapestry of life. A lot of their work involves potions and narcotics - many of which are highly illegal. A lot of their work involves matters of life and death - much like the Department of Mysteries. Only on eight days a year are men allowed into Telae Domus (where the Temple of Arachne is situated) and only one of those days - Midsummer Eve - do they drink a potion made by a man, a potion called the Elixir of the Stars. Remus is not fond of them, and he has a very good reason for it, which I'm not going to tell you.

That, in a nutshell, is the Arachniae. They are far more complex than that, but… you'll have to wait!

Keep the reviews coming! I like reviews muchly…

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Remus woke to find himself in a bed in the Hospital Wing. _But it wasn't the full moon last night,_ he thought dazedly, half-expecting James and Sirius and Peter to come bounding through the door at any moment to drag him back to Gryffindor Tower. Sirius would have his violin in his hand because he would have come straight from his early morning practice. Perhaps he might play it, if Remus asked the right way. Remus loved the violin. 

"Hello, you."

He sat up gingerly. _Did I hit my head?_ he thought. "What happened?"

A shadow crossed Aemilia's face. "You - don't remember?"

And he did.

He buried his face in his hands. "Sweet Merlin," he moaned. "Oh Aemilia, I'm sorry I inflicted that on you. I'm so sorry."

"Remus, it's okay!" she told him gently, taking one of his hands - still bandaged in scarlet and gold - in both of hers. "We all need to rant and rave and let it out sometimes, and Merlin only knows you have so much more to let out than most people."

"How long have I been out of it?"

"Only a night, don't worry," she told him. "I got Snape to brew you up a Dreamless Sleep Draught. I hope it worked."

"It did, I think," Remus said slowly. "I don't remember dreaming anything, anyway."

"Good," she said.

They sat there for a moment of so in companionable silence. Remus watched the sun rise higher in the sky outside the window. He'd always liked the sun. It was so - so… big… and bright… and while it shone the wolf was quiescent inside him, quiet, sleeping.

"Remus," Aemilia said after a minute or so, "I have something to tell you. I think I'd better tell you this now so it doesn't come as a nasty surprise later. Besides, I detest keeping secrets," she added as an afterthought.

__

You cannot keep secrets from me, Remus! he remembered her shrieking at him once, but the old wound was no longer open.

"Go on," he said quietly.

"Dumbledore has hired a new teacher," Aemilia said at last. "She's going to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts. But - oh Remus, I wish I didn't have to tell you this - she is one of the Arachniae."

Remus felt something freeze inside him. "One of… them…" he murmured.

Aemilia nodded, pressing his hand. "I doubt you'll have to see her often," she told him. "I mean, it's not like you'll be teaching at Hogwarts or anything… but… well, she'll be around. And Dumbledore thought - and I thought too - that you should know. So it's not a horrid shock when you do meet her."

He smiled wanly at her. "Thankyou, Aemilia," he said sincerely, "for being honest with me."

"I owe you that much, Remus," she replied, and he could see verity in her eyes.

"You don't owe me anything, Aemilia," he told her gently.

She shook her head. "No," she said firmly. "Remus… I owe you so much more than I could ever repay."

He could not say anything. All he could do was listen to her as she poured her heart out to him.

"When… when I told you it was over, when we were in Seventh Year," she said slowly, "I had no idea how much I hurt you. How much you were hurting already. I only thought of myself, and not of you. Of how hard it must have been to keep that secret from me. I didn't bother to consider what was in your head when you decided not to tell me you were a werewolf - or how hard it must have been to finally tell me when you did. You were trying to protect me, Remus, but I was too stupid to realise. All -" Remus could see tears threatening to pour over the black lashes, "All I could do was accuse you of keeping secrets."

"Aemilia -"

"No, Remus!" she said through her tears. "Don't you DARE try and take the blame on yourself. Because it's _not your fault._"

He could feel tears threatening to fall from his own eyes too, but he refused to let them. "Forgive me," he told her.

She smiled at him through her tears. "What for?"

"Everything I've done that hurt you. Every secret I ever kept from you. Everything I've ever done."

She took his face in both her hands. "Remus," she told him, "oh Remus, there is nothing to forgive."

The tears did spill then, running in glistening tracks down his cheeks, over her hands. "Aemilia," he whispered hoarsely, "you are too good to me."

She smiled at him again, wiped away his tears. "Sleep, Remus," she told him. "Sleep, and heal."

*

A few hours later, Remus woke up. The sun outside the Hospital Wing window was sinking - it was almost sunset. _Soon, _he thought, _the moon will rise._

But tonight, it would only be a crescent moon, a sliver of the whole that could drive him to oblivion.

__

A crescent, Remus contemplated, _can either be a sad face or a happy face, depending on which way you look at it._

And living can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on which way you look at it. 

He smiled. That sounded like something Sirius would say.

The old wound still hurt. But now… he was beginning to be absolved.

__

Time heals all wounds, he thought. _Time and Aemilia Fudge._

Aemilia.

He felt… he didn't know what he felt. _Almost,_ he thought, _as if I had been delivered from some great trial. Almost._

I have been given another chance.

After their traumatic parting of the ways in their seventh year at Hogwarts, it had taken many years for Remus and Aemilia to even so much as speak to one another again. Gradually, after Lily and James were dead and Sirius in Azkaban, and an accident of fate had had them both working in the same place at the same time, they had developed a halting friendship once more.

__

But the wound was still there, lurking beneath the skin, hiding like the wolf does, waiting for an opportunity to come out.

They never mentioned the way they had split, and that festering gash had led to the corruption of even their awkward, cobbled together friendship. Soon it had descended into sniping and criticism, and all hope of a complete reconciliation seemed out of the question.

Until now.

__

Now the wounds have been healed, Remus thought, _and we can start afresh. The slate is clean and once more, we can write upon it._

There are no secrets now.

He had lost so much. He had lost everything.

But now, she was giving him the chance to gain some of it back.

He smiled, the setting sun bringing out the gold in his brown hair.

This time, he would not waste the chance.

*

Dinner that night had been a much smaller affair. Most of the Order had gone back to Grimmauld Place, leaving only the Hogwarts faculty, Aemilia and Remus.

However, there was one notable exception.

__

"Where," Remus had whispered to Aemilia, "is Snape?"

He had seen the shadow pass in front of her eyes. "Perhaps," she had said delicately, "you had better ask Dumbledore."

And that was why he was in Dumbledore's office now.

"Sherbet lemon?" the Headmaster offered.

Remus smiled listlessly. "Thankyou," he replied, and took one.

Dumbledore sat back in his chair, hands folded across his stomach. "I know why you're here, my boy," he said.

"Why?" Remus asked hopelessly. "Why one of them, of all people?"

Dumbledore sighed. "Because, Remus, they are experts when it comes to defending against the Dark Arts, and we need expertise more than anything else in these times."

"I - I understand, Professor," Remus said. "I just wish it didn't have to be this way."

"I wish that too, Remus," Dumbledore replied.

"It - it just makes me miss her so much," he replied. "There has never been anyone in this world dearer to me than she was. And then… she was gone."

"I won't pretend to completely understand your pain, Remus," Dumbledore told him, laying one of his old hands over one of Remus's, "but I do have some insight."

"Your brother?"

"Yes, my brother." Dumbledore sighed again. "Aberforth and I probably weren't the perfect example of the filial bond, but we loved each other well enough. Suffice to say it was a horrid blow when he was taken."

Remus swallowed. "Can - can you tell me a little about this new teacher, Professor?" he asked. "So I'm prepared, at least."

"Certainly," Dumbledore replied. "Have another sherbet lemon."

Wordlessly, Remus took one.

"She is quite young," Dumbledore told him. "In her twenties, I believe, but all reports say that she is very talented."

"As talented as - she - was?" Remus asked, bitterness creeping into his voice.

"They say that she is the most talented since then," Dumbledore answered. "She has risen high in the ranks of the Arachniae."

"Tipped to be the next High Priestess?"

"Yes."

Remus exhaled morosely. "That's what they said about - her."

Dumbledore smiled gently at him. "I know, Remus. I know."

"What is her name?" Remus asked after a few moments have passed.

"Helena Seraphim," Dumbledore replied.

"I do not think I know her," Remus replied slowly. 

"I doubt you would," Dumbledore replied. "She was several years below you at Hogwarts, and in a different house."

"Which house? Not Slytherin?"

"No. Ravenclaw. Aemilia might be able to provide with some details, though several years separated them, of course. I believe Aemilia caught her out after curfew once." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

Remus smiled. "Thankyou, Professor."

"Remember, Remus," the Headmaster told him, "that to talk to someone is to give them a piece of your heart."

"I do know that," Remus whispered. He could feel the tears coming to the surface again. "I know it only too well."

Dumbledore smiled at him. "And remember this also, my boy." He leaned conspiratorially forward over the desk. "It is equally important to - at least sometimes - wear your heart on your sleeve."


	10. And The Devil Did Grin

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: After our little detour through the mind of Remus Lupin, we're now taking a wander round the head of everyone's favourite Potions master. Severus's self discovery will be the focus of 'his' next few chapters…

...but the next chapter - much to Severus's chagrin, who hates it when this man has chapters - belongs to Sirius Black!

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Severus's first thought when he Apparated into Telae Domus was, _Sweet mother of Merlin, no wonder they make such good potions!_

He had landed in the middle of a medicinal garden, and with his long-trained eyes, he could immediately sense the potential for exceptionally potent potions. 

His second thought was, _Where is everyone?_

He wondered for a second whether or not he had Apparated to completely the wrong place, but discounted that theory almost immediately. There could be nowhere else in the world that would have such a remarkable herb garden - otherwise, he would have been there_. I would have been to pillage this garden long ago,_ he thought, _apart from the little no-man rule._

"So."

He resisted the impulse to wheel at the voice. He had spent many years learning control, and no-one, no matter how powerful their most potent potions were, was going to shake it from him. He turned slowly to face the speaker. "So," he replied, making sure than every iota of the suspicion he felt was voiced.

"Severus Snape, I presume." The priestess's robes were grey. _Second circle,_ _then_ Severus thought. 

"Yes," he answered. He was not going to give her the satisfaction of asking her for her name.

"You may call me Aralinda," she told him haughtily.

"You may call me Professor Snape," he replied. He hoped she would appreciate the snub.

Her face hardened. "And you will not insult a priestess in the Goddess's own garden!"

His face grew sardonic. "I do not believe I was insulting anyone."

Her eyes, green as new spring leaves, narrowed, but she did not rise to his bait. "Come," she said shortly.

He refused to ask where she was taking him. He would not grant any woman - especially not one of _them_, who had taken and wasted such great talent - the benefit of advantage over him.

"I am taking you to the temple," Aralinda told him over her shoulder. 

To the temple, then, he would go.

__

Out of the frying pan, he thought, _and into the fire._

*

There was another priestess waiting for them outside the gates to what Severus assumed was the temple of Arachne. Her robes were black. "Sister Aralinda," she acknowledged the younger priestess coldly. "Professor Snape."

He nodded coolly in acknowledgment.

The priestess turned to Aralinda. "The High Priestess has declared that he must stay here until Midsummer Eve."

"Perhaps you would care to address me about my plans," Severus remarked frostily.

The priestess looked at him coldly. "I do not think so," she told him shortly, and turned back to Aralinda. "You know the lore."

Aralinda inclined her head slightly. "I know the lore. May Arachne hold fast your thread, sister."

"Arachne hold fast your thread," the other priestess replied, and Disapparated.

Aralinda turned to look at Severus coldly. "You are not to go to the temple, then," she told him icily.

"That, I gathered. I am not a fool."

"And neither am I, Professor Snape. I at least know my place."

Without another word, Aralinda turned, and Severus had no choice but to follow.

*

And then, later, alone in a glade with night encroaching, the crescent moon on the horizon, Severus damned his pride and his ego to hell.

__

It takes a wise man to ask questions, Dumbledore had told him once, _and a wiser one to answer._

Janus Snape had tried to answer his own questions instead of asking, and it had ended with his death.

And his son had made the same mistake.

__

Enjoy the night, Aralinda had said to him when she left him here, and there had been no mistaking the malice in her voice.

This was a test that would prove him worthy or prove him dead.

__

Men like me are not often favoured by the gods, Severus thought, _and much less by the goddesses. And I have no idea what I am to face here, tonight._

For one wild moment, he thought that perhaps there would be nothing to fight. Just the encroaching night and the fear of what might be to come might be enough to drive a man to madness.

But he was dealing with a goddess here, and things were rarely as simple as that.

__

Professor Snape…

The voice was insistent and the darkness was deep. He could not see anything around him. "I am here," he replied simply.

__

You would spend a night in the Glade of the Lady?

Severus gulped. _Easy, Albus?_ he thought. But he already knew what his answer would be. "I would," he replied.

__

Then look in the mirror, the voice whispered inside his mind, _and see true._

*

"What comes next?" she asked, stirring the cauldron with the tip of her wand.

Severus consulted the book. "Ah… two ounces of crushed Billywigs," he said, smiling at her. _Enemies in daylight, friends in secret,_ he thought. It had an odd romance about it - even he, who had never been romantic, could see that.

"Could you start chopping the dried Flobberworms, please?" she told him as she measured out the Billywigs. "They will need to go in soon."

He pulled the chopping board towards him, still looking at the book. "You'll need to stir that in an anticlockwise - _Sweet mother of Merlin!_" He clutched his bleeding hand to his chest.

She looked up, saw the dripping blood. "Show me," she commanded him, holding out her hand for his.

He shook his head. "No… it's okay."

"Stop being stubborn, Severus, show me." Her voice was lilting, calming, like trickling water on a day in new spring.

"No," he said firmly. "You need to finish the potion. I will go to Madam Pomfrey and be back soon."

"Severus -"

"Keep going," he told her. "I'll only be a second."

The flickering light caught the gold in her hair. "All right," she said softly. 

"Nine times anti-clockwise," he told her, and left the room.

Out in the corridor, he pulled up his sleeve with a gasp. His finger was still bleeding quite profusely, but he knew it was only a shallow cut. He'd done it on purpose, and he wasn't fool enough to slice off his own finger. 

And the pain was nothing compared to the pain of the Mark, burning black on his arm.

The sound of her voice floated out into the corridor. She was singing over her cauldron. "From skies of blue you call me… run far from the light. From skies of blue you call me… kiss the night, kiss the night…"

What was someone like him doing - someone with the Mark burned black on his arm - consorting with someone like her? By all rights, he shouldn't even be within ten miles of her. She was so far above him that she was like a star, burning brightly but ever so far away in the sky. _So pure_, seventeen year old Severus Snape thought, _so innocent._

So brave, so courageous, that other little voice inside his head mocked. The voice that had taken the Dark Mark with pleasure and served Voldemort with relish. _So very Gryffindor._

Gryffindor…

And he segued…

*

"Stay away from her!"

Seventeen year old Remus Lupin was practically growling. _Like the wolf he is,_ Severus thought dryly. "Now, now, Mr. Lupin, why should I do that?"

Remus's eyes bore into his, and Severus returned the stare with great pleasure. "You honestly have no idea of what she is to me, do you?" he snarled.

Severus pretended to be cleaning his nails. "Don't really care either, Lupin," he drawled.

Then, faster than he could see, Remus had him against the wall. _So the thing about werewolves having superhuman strength really is true,_ he thought wryly, and not at all appropriately to the situation.

"Don't think I can't see what you _are_, Snape," Remus growled. "Don't think I can't see the dirty little Death Eater under your robes and your Concealment Charms." 

__

So he did notice the Concealment Charm, Severus thought. _That's interesting. That's very interesting._

"I know the Dark Mark is branded black on your arm," Remus grated. "I know where your loyalties lie, Snape. So stay away from her!"

"You know what?" Severus said sardonically. "I don't think I will."

Remus had reached the end of his tether. He swung, connected, and Severus's head was smashed against the wall, bruising the entire left side of his face.

"So much as go near her again," Remus snarled, "and it won't just be your face that's black and blue."

The door slammed as Remus left the room. "Stop me, Lupin," the younger Severus whispered before he fell into unconsciousness.

The darkness surrounded him…

…and he segued…

*

His dungeon classroom, now. Yesterday. 

"So the spats in the hallways weren't just for show, then?" Aemilia asked him

Severus felt a moment of terror. _She knows! _"How do you know about that?"

Aemilia laughed, although it was not her usual ringing laughter. "You must be getting slow in your old age, Snape. I was in your year, remember?"

__

Thank Merlin. "I'd quite forgotten," he replied coolly. "I believe it's called wishful thinking."

"Mark the return of Severus the Snarky," Aemilia noted dryly. 

"Get back to your point, Fudge, whatever it was," he snapped. _And away from… her…_

"Fine," she snapped back. "Well, you know about the Arachniae, so there's not too much explaining to be done. That comment of Shacklebolt's tonight just sent him over the edge. Ever since Sirius died… I think he's been bottling all his pain up inside himself and tonight the floodgate burst. I sat with him for over an hour and from what I gathered, he was practically torturing himself with every bad memory he could think of."

"Lycanthropy?" 

Aemilia nodded. "A lot of that - but I realised tonight Remus has had a harder life than anyone I know. The lycanthropy alone would be enough to send any sane man over the edge. Remus has had to deal with so much more than that."

__

So much more to deal with…

Remus Lupin had suffered more than Severus could imagine. He had lost Sirius Black, James Potter, Lily Evans… his dearest friends in the world. He had had to deal with the perversion and corruption of a fourth in Peter Pettigrew. He had been discriminated against for his lycanthropy all his life. His mother was criminally insane. He had lost Aemilia in his Seventh Year. And… he had lost _her,_ and no-one, not Severus, not Sirius, no-one that had ever been bewitched by her serene demeanour and tranquil eyes, could have even _begun _to understand how much she had meant to Remus. 

You_ self-pitying weak fool, Severus,_ he thought fiercely. _Oh, you made a point of not complaining to Dumbledore - oh Dumbledore, my Mark is hurting; oh Dumbledore, Voldemort put the Cruciatus curse on me again - but you pitied yourself the whole time._

But this man… this man has suffered beyond all belief…

And, for the last time, he segued…

*

Severus opened his eyes.

He was flat on his back in the glade. The stars had changed and the moon had left the sky, and he knew - even though he had, as Aemilia had once told him, completely failed his Astronomy OWL - that many hours had passed.

He sat up, rubbing his temples. He felt the beginning of a pounding headache.

"So."

This time, he dispensed with his pride, his ego, his hubris. "I am here," he said simply.

She came towards him, carrying a taper. "You have passed the test, Professor Snape."

"Please," he whispered, "call me Severus."

She extended him one lovely, white hand and, when he took it, pulled him to his feet. "Welcome to Telae Domus, Severus," she told him. "I am Helena Seraphim."

________________

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Next chapter: Some Siriusness…


	11. Interlude: Polished Without Friction

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Another Sirius interlude… perhaps creating more questions than it alleviates, but remember… all questions will be answered in their own good time!

_______________

"How was the Void made?"

Janus Snape shook his head. "Well, you'll have to understand I can't be completely sure - especially since I don't have any of the notes I took with me."

"That's all right," Sirius told him. "Anything that will give us a start."

"My field of study was the Void," Janus said, "and the one thing I have been able to conclude is this: this place is _not_ the Void."

Sirius felt like he'd been Stunned. "Not the Void?"

"Not _exactly_, no," Janus answered. "The Void is infinite. This place - well, it's clear that it's finite. I mean, it's got walls, for a start. It stops."

"I think I'm beginning to understand," Sirius said slowly. "Do go on."

Janus cupped his hands. "What I've been able to conjecture," he said, "is that this place is like a bubble. It's like a piece of the Void has collapsed on itself and created a kind of warp - and that's where we are now." He sighed. "I devoted my whole life out there to studying the Void to the expense of everything else." He looked at Sirius with a desperation in his eyes. "The Void is a terrible place, Mr. Black. It was created by wights in the ancient times, and it is from there that the wights in the mortal world came. It is an eldritch place. When I began to study it… it possessed me, drove all of the love out of me. I became a wife-beater, a terrible father. My son is testimony to that." He sighed again. "At least here, the true Void, the great beyond, cannot touch me. All there is here is the night." He looked at Sirius sharply. "Why do you want to know this, anyway?"

Sirius pulled his wand out. "Because things have changed now, Mr. Snape," he answered urgently. "There is magic now in this place where there was none. We are no longer outside of time."

"They all start out like that, boy," Janus growled. "Desperate to escape. There is no escape from this place."

"There is a way in," Sirius said determinedly, "and so there must be a way out."

*

"A portal?" Aberforth Dumbledore looked at Sirius with questions in his eyes. "Of course that's what the veil is. What else would it be?"

"And a portal has to be from a place to a place, yes?" Sirius asked urgently. 

"Well, yes…"

"If a portal can be built to lead in here, cannot one be built to lead out?"

Aberforth's eyes glittered dangerously. "Exactly how much do you know about portals, Mr. Black?"

"Not much," Sirius admitted.

Aberforth sighed. "I expected as much. Just like my fool brother."

"Albus Dumbledore?"

"He asked me to build a portal - for his convenience, of course - from Hogwarts to the Ministry of Magic just after Voldemort's rise," Aberforth replied. "Of course, he didn't understand how they work. He's not very subtle, Albus." He sighed again. "The amount of magic it takes to build a portal is immense, and it often doesn't work."

"Could we build one here?"

Aberforth snorted. "Of course not, boy! Granted, we have magic now. But one wand isn't much. It would need many wands and many wizards to break out of here. I know Janus's theory on what this place is. And to make a portal, you need substance." He cast his arms about. "This is a place of nothingness. There is no substance here." He curled up, leaning against one of the walls of the Void. "It's a fool hope you've got, boy."

*

"Nothing," Sirius confessed to Regina. 

She quirked an eyebrow. "Nothing?"

He sighed. "Janus Snape tells me that this place is a collapse in the Void - that we're in a sort of bubble. Aberforth tells me that we could make a portal out of here, but we have neither the substance nor the magic - Reggie, why are you smiling?"

"Don't you understand, Sirius?" she said. "This has confirmed it!"

"Can you stop being so cryptic?" he asked. "I'm afraid I don't follow."

She leaned closer to him and hugged her knees happily. "If this place is not the Void - as Janus tells us it is not - then it is a place. Now that there is magic here, it is within time. I do not know how to travel between times, but from place to place… well, it is another matter. I have known Aberforth's conjecture for a long time - but we never had any magic at all before. Now, we do." She smiled dreamily.

"Reggie," Sirius said curiously, "have you not ever talked to Janus Snape about what the Void is? You sound as if his theory is news to you."

"It is," she said shortly. 

"Why -"

"It was too painful," she murmured. "I could not talk to him and not think about…"

Sirius felt as if a tight fist were clenched about his heart. "He was… dear to you?"

Regina nodded. "Yes. He was."

____________

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And remember, I have other stories too. Read and review them as well - especially 'Cheese'!


	12. Green Fire In Thy Eyes

"Professor," Remus asked Dumbledore thoughtfully, "does the Ministry make it a practice to hire owls with exceptionally bad aim?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he munched a bit of toast. "Never having worked at the Ministry," he replied, "I am not quite sure. However, I suspect something along those lines must have been in order."

"Sounds like one of those fool laws my father would try and push through," Aemilia muttered, viciously attacking her boiled egg.

Remus pulled the letter out of a pitcher of pumpkin juice and slit it open with his thumb.

__

Dear Mr. Lupin,

This communication is to inform you of your annual licence renewal. You will be expected at the Ministry of Magic at 9:30am on July 30.

Failure to keep this appointment will lead to the dispatch of a member of the Committee For The Disposal Of Dangerous Creatures.

Sincerely,

Alfred Humbert

Werewolf Registry Office

"What does it say?" Aemilia asked. 

Remus thrust the letter into her hands with a snort. "Bloody Umbridge."

Aemilia skimmed the letter. "She drafted the law that made the licence annual instead of centennial, didn't she?"

"Yes," Remus replied shortly. "One of about seventy million anti-werewolf laws she drafted which make it just about impossible for me to get a job." _Thank Merlin for St. Mungo's,_ he thought.

"But… money shouldn't really be an issue for you now, should it?" Aemilia asked.

Remus looked at her quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"Well… you just inherited rather a lot of it, didn't you?"

Remus sighed. "That," he told her, "is money I will not spend until I am starving on the street."

"Why?"

"All my life I've had to rely on charity from other people," Remus replied bitterly. "First my father - but then when he died and my mother got admitted to St. Mungo's, I was relying on James and Lily. Oh, they'd tell me and I'd tell myself that it was just till I got a steady job… but finding a steady job was not an easy task. Then, after they died and Sirius got sent to Azkaban, I depended on my inheritance from my father. After that ran out… that's when I accepted the Hogwarts job. Then for the last two years I've been sponging off Sirius and the Order." He swallowed. "Using Sirius's money would just be me accepting more charity, and I don't want to do that. I want to make my own way, support myself, not always be dependant on everyone around me."

Aemilia had a concerned look on her face. "Oh Remus, I'm sorry."

"Why? It's not your fault," he told her, forcing himself to smile. "I have an income now, albeit a small one. I have enough to live on, despite Umbridge and her laws."

"When is your licence renewal, Remus?" Dumbledore asked.

Remus looked at the letter. "July 30 - that's tomorrow, isn't it?"

"Short notice," Aemilia muttered. "Stupid father. Stupid bureaucracy."

"Well, I had intended to go into London at some stage anyway," Remus said, sighing. "I need to get Harry a birthday present. Gives me an excuse."

"Can I come?"

Remus looked at Aemilia questioningly. "Why?"

Aemilia shrugged. "Some of the Ministry records could be useful for the lawsuit. And I wouldn't mind going shopping myself. I need new robes."

"Just promise me one thing," Remus told her.

"What?"

"No shoe shops. Please. I will shop for robes with you, for obscure potions ingredients or codices or anything you please - but please, don't make me go shoe-shopping with you again. I still have nightmares about it."

Aemilia laughed. "Done."

*

"In you go."

"You're such a gentleman, Remus," Aemilia laughed as he held the door of the telephone box open for her.

He tipped his hat. "I like to think so," he said, winking and shutting the door behind him. "Six… two… four… four… two," he muttered as he dialled the number over her head.

"Do you come in the visitor's entrance often then?" Aemilia asked.

He smiled. "Well, considering every time I've been to the Ministry of Magic I've been a visitor - yes, I use it often." _Every time but one,_ he thought, and a vision of Sirius falling through the veil came into his head.

He forced it away as a cool female voice began to speak. "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. State your name and your business, please."

"Aemilia Fudge, International Magical Office of Law," Aemilia said. "I work here."

"Remus Lupin, werewolf licence renewal," Remus said.

"Visitor, please take your badge." Remus pinned the small silver badge that came rattling out of the telephone apparatus - reading _Remus Lupin, Licence Renewal_ - to the front of his robes. Aemilia, being a Ministry employee, did not get one.

"Have a nice day," the voice said, and they began the descent to the Ministry of Magic.

*

"Level Five," the cool female voice said. 

"I'm going to dash into work, Remus," Aemilia said. "Shall I meet you upstairs in, oh, an hour?"

Remus nodded. "Sounds fine to me," and he and Aemilia parted company.

He rapped on the door of the Werewolf Registry Office, glancing at his watch. _Good, I'm on time,_ he thought. He hated to think what might happen if, one day, he wasn't… Hagrid's run-in with the Committee For The Disposal Of Dangerous Creatures had been bad enough, and he didn't particularly fancy being chased around by Walden McNair with an axe.

__

Though Walden McNair with a wand is just as bad, he thought with a shudder, remembering the Department of Mysteries.

The door opened. "Mr. Lupin," Alfred Humbert greeted him. "Thankyou for being punctual."

*

After half an hour of being poked and prodded and - finally, he considered - being issued with a renewed licence, Remus left the Werewolf Registry Office.

__

Half an hour till I have to meet Aemilia, he thought. _What am I going to do in the Ministry of Magic for half an hour?_

I could visit Arthur Weasley, he thought. _Yes, that's what I'll do._

But when the voice in the lift announced his arrival on Level Two, Remus realised that the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office was not, in fact, the place he needed to visit.

"Department of Mysteries," the cool female voice announced. 


	13. A Mournful Rustling In The Dark

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: I know you're all dying to know what's going on with Remus…

…but you're going to have to wait a little longer, because this is a delightfully Snape-y chapter!

___________________

Aralinda was waiting for them when Severus and Helena reached the gates of the temple at dawn. 

"Open the gates, Sister Aralinda," Helena instructed her quietly, and without a word, Aralinda obeyed.

Helena took one of Severus's hands. "Welcome to the Sanctuary of the Lady Weaver," she told him warmly, and, wordlessly, he let her lead him in.

The sanctuary beyond the gates was verdant and sumptuous. "It's beautiful," Severus murmured.

"When was the last time you called something beautiful, Severus?" Helena asked him, her voice tranquil.

"I - I don't think I remember," Severus replied.

"Think on it. You do remember, even if you have not thought of it for a very long time."

__

For so long there has been so little worth living for, Severus thought, _so few things that are worthy of being termed beautiful. I have not seen anything beautiful since -_

"She was," he said hoarsely. "She was beautiful."

Helena inclined her head. "The bounty of Arachne is always beautiful."

He did not say anything.

"The Gatehouse has been made ready for you," Helena told him after a few minutes silence. "I will conduct you there now. I advise you sleep, Severus, for there will be no sleep for you tonight."

"Tonight?" he almost whispered.

She smiled at him. "Tonight, Severus," she said softly, "tonight is Midsummer Eve. Tonight the priestesses will drink the Elixir of the Stars, and tonight," she whispered to him, "is a night when no man should be alone."

*

When Helena had left, Severus began to look around the Gatehouse.

It had seemed, for the first few moments, to be just one room - an almost empty, austere room, with nothing but a wooden table. But, when he looked harder, he saw… more things.

__

The immediate reality is not all there is, he remembered someone telling him once. Her. _The world is meta-implicate, Severus, and we exist in several realities all at once._

There was a fresh vase of flowers on the table, ensconced in a vase that looked like it was made from ice. Severus, impulsively, reached out and touched it, and found not the biting chill of frozen water, but the calming coolness of something that felt like a mixture between glass and crystal.

There was a bookshelf along one wall. Severus perused the titles with interest. Some were codices on potions that he already possessed in his own modest library at Hogwarts, others obscure texts that he had sought after but had never been able to find, others in languages he did not recognise.

He picked up a book at random. It was bound in dark blue leather, the title inscribed in simple but elegant script on the front. _Telae Domus In Litha_, he read. _An Account Of The Rites Of Arachne._

He opened the front cover, and almost dropped the book in surprise.

It had been a gift. To her. 

There was a date - the book had only been given to her a few months before she was taken.

And beneath that?

__

All my love, Sirius.

*

Severus awoke several hours later in the same chair he had sat down in. The book that had been a gift to her from Sirius Black was back in the bookshelf.

However, he could not get the image of her out of his head.

__

If her books were here, he thought, _maybe… she lived here, if only for a little while._

As if in experimentation, he pulled another book off the shelf. _The potions books she might have bought herself,_ he thought, _but she never would have bought this one. She never read novels._

He flicked back the cover and read.

__

To the dearest girl in the world on her birthday,

You, my darling, are far too serious and spend far too much time bending over cauldrons than relaxing. I expect to see you sometime in the next week reading this - preferably in Gryffindor Tower, where I can watch.

And, dearest, if you don't relax… I am sure I can persuade you to. I am not above playing dirty, and I know I do have certain cards up my sleeve…

All the love in the world,

Remus

Severus closed the book with a snap. _I have no right to pry in her books and her possessions,_ he thought.

Then he spotted a book he recognised in her collection, and he could not resist his curiosity. Eagerly, he flipped back the dusty cover of _Moste Potente Potions_.

__

To my beautiful potions partner,

Forgive the impersonal nature of this gift - though I am sure you will appreciate not having to break into the Restricted Section every three seconds when you decide to set your (brilliant) mind to some new, incredibly complex potion.

I am not altruistic by nature - no-one in Slytherin ever is. I hope you understand that, like a snake protects itself with layers of skin, I must protect myself with layers of false seeming and pretence. But, my dearest, loveliest queen, understand that this is the sentiment of my heart.

I love you.

And - if it is not too much to hope that you would break with all that you have ever known and associate with a Slytherin - I hope you can return these feelings.

Have a wonderful Christmas.

Always and forever,

Severus Snape

Severus sighed. He had never known the answer. She had disappeared before he ever spoke to her again.

*

"Severus."

He looked up. He had not heard her enter - and Severus Snape always knew when people came into his presence. It was instinct - not only instinct that allowed him to know when Harry Potter was out and about in his Invisibility Cloak, but instinct that had saved his life more than once.

"Miss Seraphim," he greeted her.

"My name is Helena," she reprimanded him.

"Helena," he emended.

She smiled. "You found the recipe for the potion?"

He felt uneasy. "Er - yes. I did. I wasn't prying, it's just…"

"We depended on you finding it, Severus," she told him gently. "No man may brew the Elixir of the Stars if he is not both curious and cunning."

Severus flushed red - something that did not occur very often. "She lived here," he said quietly, after a few moments.

"Yes. She did. And we preserve this place always as a monument to her, and all that she was," Helena replied softly.

"I miss her dreadfully." For the first time in over twenty years, Severus felt like he was going to cry.

"So do we all," she told him.

He looked up half-desperately. "What happened to her?"

Helena shook her head sadly. "Even we do not know."

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	14. One Incarnate Nature

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: So you thought you were going to get Remus this chapter, eh? No such luck. Remus and the Department of Mysteries will have to wait till next chapter... Because a certain Severus Snape has taken over this one. This chapter reveals some more about the Arachniae that you might find… interesting…

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"You have brought him?"

Helena nodded. "He is here."

__

I never knew that stating the obvious could be so damn… mystical, Severus thought. He had heard rumours that the priestesses at Telae Domus held traffic with wights and he would not be surprised if it were true. He had never known anyone to be so spiritual and serene as these priestesses.

The priestess standing at the door to the temple nodded her head to him in acknowledgment. "I am Marianne," she told him, "and I am the Guardian of the First Door of the Temple of Arachne."

"I am Severus Snape," he answered.

"Welcome, Severus." Marianne inclined her head a second time.

"Thank you."

Marianne turned to Helena. "He has passed the test?"

"One night he slept in the Glade of the Lady," Helena replied, "as the lore prescribes. He segued."

"What did you see that night, Severus?" Marianne asked.

Severus took a deep breath. "Memories," he said hoarsely. "The first… was in my seventh year at Hogwarts. I was brewing a potion with… her. The only woman I have ever loved."

Marianne inclined her head a third time. "She is known to us," she said quietly.

"My… the Mark on my arm burned," Severus continued. He had not heard anyone say her name for many long years now. "And I realised… that I was not good enough for her… that she was too pure for me to touch."

Helena touched his arm encouragingly. "She was special," she told him softly. "It is no wonder that she was beloved by so many."

"Please, continue," Marianne urged him gently.

"Then… then I saw Remus Lupin. In our seventh year again. He was telling me -" Severus gulped, "- telling me to stay away from her. That I could never know what she was to him. I told him that I wouldn't stay away… and he hit me. But Merlin only knows I deserved it," he added bitterly. 

"The attachment of Remus Lupin is well known and documented here," Marianne acknowledged quietly.

"And the last memory… it was only a few days ago. Aemilia Fudge came down to my classroom to ask me to make a Dreamless Sleep Draught for Lupin… and she told me about his mother."

"Cursed be her name!" Helena and Marianne spat in eerie unison.

Severus looked up, confused. "You know Lupin's mother?"

"She took her from us," Marianne said acerbically. "Pray, go on."

"And… I realised, that no matter how much I have suffered and will suffer… that I am not the only one. And," he said softly, "by my own measurement, I believe that I could never have suffered as much as… as much as Remus Lupin in his life."

"No man with hubris may be allowed to set foot inside the First Circle of the Temple of Arachne," Marianne said. "In the Glade of the Lady, your hubris was broken."

She threw open the door behind her. "You have passed the first test, Severus Snape."

*

The first circle of the Temple of Arachne, Severus considered, was a little like Hogwarts. There was an ambience of schooling and study.

"Is this…?" he asked Helena.

"This is the Circle of the Novices," Helena answered. "Here, priestesses are clad in brown until they pass the test that admits them to the Second Circle."

"Priestesses of the Second Circle wear grey, do they not?" Aralinda had worn grey, he remembered.

"Yes, they do. Priestesses of the Third Circle wear black, and the High Priestess wears white," Helena told him.

__

Helena must be a priestess of the Third Circle, then, Severus thought, _and _she_ would have been too._

A giggling group of young women in brown robes went past. "A _man!_" Severus heard one titter.

Helena turned a disapproving gaze on them and they fell silent. "You may see quite easily, I think, that for a priestess to progress to the Second Circle, she must have both discipline and restraint."

"And so too must a man."

Severus resisted the impulse to jump at the new voice. _There is definitely something eldritch about this place,_ he thought.

This new priestess inclined her head. "I am Miriel," she said, "and I am the Guardian of the Second Door of the Temple of Arachne."

Severus nodded in response. "I am Severus Snape," he replied.

"Welcome, Severus." 

"Thank you."

"He has passed the test?" Miriel asked Helena.

"He sought out the recipe for the Elixir of the Stars," Helena answered, "amidst many things that might sway him from his purpose. He did not make a foray into sentimental reminiscences as he might have."

__

Oh, love, Severus thought with a pang. _Lady, lady, lady._

"Is this true and veritable, Severus?" Miriel asked. "Do you know how to make the Elixir of the Stars?"

He closed his eyes and bowed his head. "I do," he replied.

"No man without discipline and perspicacity may be allowed to set foot inside the First Circle of the Temple of Arachne," Miriel said. "In the Gatehouse, you demonstrated these things."

She threw open the door behind her. "You have passed the second test, Severus Snape."

*

The Second Circle of the Temple of Arachne reminded Severus of the Ministry of Magic. The noise and bustle of students was distant now, shut behind doors back in the First Circle. Instead, here, a fountain tinkled, and grey-robed priestesses walked past in attitudes of perfect tranquillity and peace. There were no gossiping students here.

For an instant, Severus could almost picture her here. She would not be out of place in this world of serene academia. _Even when we were at school,_ he thought, with a pang, _she would exude such peacefulness, such quietude. I cannot picture her -_

"She progressed straight to this Circle when she became one of the Arachniae," Helena said. "She was never a novice. She had progressed so far alone."

Idly, Severus wondered how Helena knew what he was thinking. _It cannot be Legilimency,_ Severus thought. 

"Your Occlumency is not at fault, Severus," Helena told him. 

"Then how -"

She smiled. "You forget that I am a priestess," she answered, "and that we are in one of the Lady Weaver's most sacred places."

"Sacred to maiden, to mother, to crone," a new voice said, "but will you allow it to be sacred to man?"

This third priestess had long dark hair that fell to her waist, and flashing dark eyes. She was holding a shallow silver basin. _She looks like Aemilia,_ Severus thought dazedly.

She inclined her head. "I am Ysylde," she said, "and I am the Guardian of the Third Door of the Temple of Arachne."

"I am Severus Snape," he answered.

"Welcome, Severus." 

"Thank you."

__

Now, Severus thought, _ she will ask Helena if I have passed the test._

But Ysylde did not turn to Helena. Her fathomless dark eyes remained fixed on Severus.

"Only once a year is a man admitted beyond the Third Door," she said, "and, as in all things, there is a price to pay."

"A price?" Severus asked bemusedly.

"All men who enter here must give of their blood to the Lady," Ysylde answered. She drew a curved blade from her belt. "Will you do the Lady's will?"

Severus was not unaware of all the potential uses for blood. He was a potion master, after all, and more than once he had brewed concoctions with blood in them. _Give of yourself to another, and you give them control over you._

But all he knew was that this was where she had been, and he would have died a thousand times over for her.

"I will," he replied, and extended his left arm.

And then, as Severus stood, a bleeding line traced over the Dark Mark, Ysylde placed the basin holding his blood on a stone pedestal and threw open the door behind her. "You are in the Lady's service now," she told him softly, "and you have passed the third test, Severus Snape."

*

The first thing Severus noted about the Third Circle of the Temple of Arachne was how few priestesses there were. The First Circle had been veritably teeming with brown-clad novices, the Second Circle was certainly far from empty, but the Third Circle…

A single woman, dressed in black robes, passed them by. "Sister Helena," she said, nodding.

"The priestess's path is not one for everyone, Severus," Helena told him, once again responding to his unspoken question. "Very many never make it higher than the Second Circle, and even more never make it past the First."

"So they are novices all their life?"

"No," Helena replied. "They leave. The lady Arachne is selective in who she calls, and not all those who come to Telae Domus are called to the goddess's service."

"How long have you been one of the Third Circle?"

"Seven years."

Severus restrained himself from gaping. "But -"

"Like her, I was never a novice, and passed very quickly through the ranks," Helena answered. Severus noted her deliberate modesty.

The Fourth Door of the Temple of Arachne had no guardian. The doors were heavy and oaken, and reminded Severus very much of the front doors of Hogwarts. 

"This Door needs no guardian," Helena explained softly. "It is our last measure. The door will only open to those who pass the last, unspoken test."

"How -"

Helena took one of his hands and placed it on the knocker. The knocker was large and silver, in the shape of a stag with many-tined antlers. "Knock three times," she told him, "and you will know the answer."

Severus raised the knocker.

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

There was a moment of awful silence, and then…

…with an ominous creak, the door opened.

"Welcome, Severus Snape," a voice came from within. "I have been expecting you."

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	15. A Dribble Of Dark Molasses

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Finally… the long-awaited Remus chapter! Next chapter will be another Sirius interlude…

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Remus didn't know how he had managed to get past the sentries that guarded the Department of Mysteries. He didn't really care either.

He stood on the stone dais, and he watched it.

Every bad thing in his life seemed to be connected to that veil. _She was bad,_ his mother hissed into his mind, _and so I took her._

And so this is what she would have seen, Remus thought.

The only time he had ever seen this chamber, Harry had been in dire danger and he had thought of nothing else. He had sprinted along behind Sirius, a race against time. They had to get to Harry before Voldemort did, they had to!

And they had.

But the veil had eaten Sirius, and his music was gone forever.

He went down the stone steps they led to the sunken pit where the veil stood, looming ominously in his mind, and sat on the last one, staring at it.

__

HE - IS - NOT - DEAD! Harry had roared, and Remus had had to hold him back, stop him following,

__

What's to stop me following? Remus thought suddenly. _Why can't I step through the veil too?_

He stood. "Sirius," he said firmly, "I -"

And then he heard it, and he sat back down again with a start.

Harry had said he had heard whispers from behind the veil. Remus had not noticed last time. _I was a bit preoccupied with saving Harry from following,_ he thought wryly. 

But Harry had not said whether he had heard words.

And Remus could hear words. He could hear exactly what they were saying.

__

"So… if we were to do this…?"

"No, I don't think that will work."

"Why not?"

A sigh. "It will take me a very, very long time to explain."

"Then explain, Aberforth! We have time. We have more time than anything else! This is the Void, remember!"

"Please, don't argue. It will do no-one any good."

It was that last voice that sent him surging to his feet, the voice he had not heard for many years. He took a step closer to the veil, and another, and another. The whispering was almost like shouting now,

__

"Sweet Merlin, I just want to put a damn hole in this damn place so I can damn well get out!"

"We all do, more than anything. You know that, my love."

The veil was right in front of him. Bracing his arm on the stone frame of the archway, Remus gingerly pulled back some of the black curtain. He could feel whatever it was that lay behind the veil trying to pull him in with an eldritch force, but he resisted.

Instead, he called out, hoping his voice could reach those he loved best.

"Sirius?" A pause. His voice cracked. "Regina?"

*

"Remus, what in Merlin's name are you doing here?"

He wheeled. "Aemilia," he said hoarsely, "I can hear them. Him. Her. I can hear them behind the veil!"

Aemilia descended the stone steps. "Look, Remus," she said softly, putting her hand on his arm, "I know you… want to think you can hear them. But… they're gone. You know they're gone."

"No, they're not!" he said fiercely, wrenching his arm from her grip. "Padfoot! Reggie! Can you hear me?"

There was silence behind the veil. Absolute, deafening silence.

"Sirius?" Remus sobbed. "Regina? Please say you can hear me, please!"

Aemilia pulled him back and sat him down on the stair, then enfolded him in her arms. "Remus, I'm so sorry. But, you must understand… they're -"

"Moony?"

Remus was back on his feet in a flash. "Padfoot?"

"Remus - is that you? Can you hear me?"

Tears were pouring down his face. "Yes, Sirius, it's me!"

"Remus!" A woman's voice this time, a voice he had not heard in so many years. 

"Reggie," he almost whispered, choked by his tears. "Oh Reggie… I've missed you so much!"

"Why is this happening?" Aemilia murmured, standing behind him.

"What?" Remus asked her.

"Remus, who is out there with you?" Sirius's voice again.

"Aemilia Fudge," he replied. "Listen, Sirius… if I can talk to you… can you just walk out of there?"

Sirius sighed audibly. "Not thinking so, Moony… we can't see the veil, even if we can talk through it. In here… it's almost as if your voice is coming through some kind of loudspeaker - albeit a really a quiet one. Incidentally, what are you doing with Aemilia? I didn't think Cornelius Fudge would be too high in your good books right now."

__

Just like Sirius, Remus thought happily. _Life and death situation - and he asks we about trivialities._

"My father and I disowned each other," Aemilia snapped, "so I'll thank you to hold your tongue, Black."

"Feisty as ever, then, Fudge," Sirius's voice floated back. 

"You know what this means, don't you?" Regina's voice this time, sounding excited. He had not heard her voice for so long, and he revelled in it. _There is no-one in this life dearer to me than you, Reggie,_ Remus thought. 

"Er, no," came Sirius's reply.

There was a note of real exhilaration in Regina's voice as it came floating back through the veil. "It means that the security of this place has been breached!"

"It must be the magic," came Sirius's excited voice. "There's magic here now!"

"That's it!"

Remus turned. "What's it, Aemilia?"

"The key to the lawsuit!"

"What lawsuit?" came Sirius's voice.

"Your will, Padfoot," Remus replied through the veil. "That's why Aemilia has been around - she's our lawyer."

"What about my will? Are you contesting it? Why?"

Remus sighed. "You had Lily and James's papers in your Gringotts account."

He winced as Sirius screamed an expletive. "WHY THE HELL DIDN'T I THINK ABOUT THAT? OF _COURSE_ THEY WOULD HAVE LEFT THEIR PAPERS TO ME! WHY WAS I SO DAMNED STUPID!"

"Shhh, Sirius." He could almost picture the two of them now, just on the other side of the veil, Regina's arms around Sirius, calming him down.

__

There was something so serene about her, Remus thought sadly. _So tranquil. And I lost her - no, wait, I didn't! She's still here!_

He heard Sirius sigh. "What's happening to the papers?"

"Well, by some technicality of fiscal law, they ended up being willed to the Dursleys," Remus answered.

"THE _DURSLEYS?_ THE BLOODY MUGGLES?" He heard Sirius take a deep breath, and another - probably, he considered, urged on by Regina. "So you're contesting the will."

"Yes," Remus replied, but he was cut off by Aemilia.

"Remus, don't you see it?"

"See what?"

Aemilia's dark eyes were bright with excitement. "If we can talk to them," she said, "then they're not dead."

And Remus understood. "And if they're alive… it would void the will!" he breathed.

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	16. Interlude: All The Gold In The World

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Wow, thanks for the overwhelming response to last chapter! Hope this one - a Sirius interlude - is up to scratch!

One reviewer asked about the titles of the chapters. They're all from quotes, and the theme of the quote is generally the theme of the chapter. For example, the title of the prologue, 'Binding With Briars' comes from a poem containing the lines, _Binding with briars / My hopes and desires_. It's about being trapped - as, in essence, the prologue is.

I hope that clears it up for you!

And while you're waiting for the next chapter of this fic, check out my others - particularly 'Cheese'!

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"This place is disintegrating," Sirius whispered.

"Yes," Regina replied, her fingers entwined with his.

Sirius turned to look at her. "Reggie," he said, "before we were interrupted - before Remus and Aemilia managed to talk to us, I mean - you said -"

"- that I could travel from place to place?"

"Yes."

Regina sighed. "Sit down, Sirius," she told him, "and let me explain."

*

"To enter into the Third Circle of the Temple of Arachne," Regina began, "you must give blood."

"Blood?"

"Many think it no more than a religious quirk," she continued, "and others think we use it as a means of control over all who have given it. You are familiar with the concept of control through ownership?"

"Yes."

"But there is a third use for blood," she went on, "and it is one often overlooked. Only the Arachniae know of it now, because only the Arachniae still study the lore of wights."

Her grey eyes were still. Sirius pressed her hand.

"This world is not the only world, Sirius, nor is this reality the only reality. The world is meta-implicate."

"You… you have told me this before, I think."

Regina smiled. "That is highly likely. It is one of the most common known concepts of the Arachniae, and hence the one most often overlooked. But that is exactly why it is important." 

She took a deep breath. "It is possible, if the rites are done right, to travel across the barriers between the world. It requires blood, and the earthroot. A great deal of both."

"The earthroot?"

"Simply put, ley lines. There are veins of eldritch power that run all over the earth, veins of deepest power. Wights are drawn to them and work by them."

Sirius's heart fell. "But, Reggie… here -"

"- there is no earthroot, I know," she replied. "But there is an alternative."

"An alternative?"

Regina gestured with one slender, white hand, to the other people huddled in the corners of the Void-bubble. "Most people exist only in their conscious mind," she explained. "They are shallow. It is not until a person experiences real love, real danger, or some kind of vivid emotion, that they become deeper. When a person is deep enough, ripples of their presence run through all the meta-implicacies of reality. If a person runs deep enough, the power that radiates from their soul can be used as a substitution for the earthroot." She smiled. "Remus ran deep. Before I retreated to Telae Domus, I worked my early magic using his soul."

"But if all it takes is blood and a soul," Sirius asked, "why did you not escape from here before?"

"Because no-one ran deep enough, Sirius," Regina explained. "These people… they are effigies, shadows of what they once were. What passion, what deep feeling they might have had… it is long gone." She took one of his hands in both of hers. "But you, Sirius… I knew it the first time I heard you play your violin. Sirius… you _burn._"

"I… run deep enough?"

Regina nodded. "You do."

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	17. No Butterflies

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Well, you all reviewed quickly, so, as promised, here is the next chapter. You'll have to wait a little while longer for more Sirius, but I hope Severus will provide a welcome substitute!

There is a major plot point revealed here…

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Severus stepped over the threshold and into the sanctum of the Temple of Arachne. He bowed low. "High Priestess."

"No." The white-clad woman rose from her chair and came towards him, her long, moon-pale hair whispering gently in some unseen breeze. "My name is Diana."

Severus bowed again. "Lady Diana."

Diana took his hand and Severus straightened. "It is not the place of man to worship the High Priestess," she told him softly, smiling. "Only Arachne is worthy of worship."

She took his other hand. "Come, Severus," she said, pulling him backwards towards an antechamber. "I will show you where you must do what must be done."

Just before Diana closed the door of the antechamber behind him, Severus looked over his shoulder.

Helena was gone.

*

The antechamber that Diana led Severus into it was not so much a chamber, he considered, as a bathroom.

The room was tiled with what looked like white slate or marble, with a huge, sunken pool-sized bath in the middle. It was filled with clear water that looked very cold.

"To make the Elixir of the Stars, a man must be purified, body and soul," Diana said softly from behind him. She reached around his body and undid the clasp on his robes. They fell to the floor around him in a puddle of black, leaving Severus standing, bare-chested, wearing only a pair of grey trousers.

The room was cold and Severus could feel the goosebumps rising on his bare skin, but he forced himself to ignore it. _Mind over matter,_ he reminded himself. _I am strong._

"Will you be purified?" Diana asked him.

Severus did not hesitate. "I will," he answered, and, divesting himself of his trousers without a second thought, he dived into the water.

His assumption had been right. The water was very cold, and, surfacing, he gasped for breath. 

The water eddied and swirled him, and Severus realised that his first impression had been wrong. The room was not tiled in white slate. It had been carved out of living rock. _There is no way humans could have done this,_ Severus thought. _This is the work of wights._ The current, not strong but certainly insistent, pushed him along.

Severus ducked under the water. He was a strong swimmer. With a pang, he remembered a time in his youth when he had swum across a lake to escape his abusive father. It had, of course, made the punishment in the end fifty times worse.

The pool was deeper than it seemed but the water was unchangingly clear, and most certainly clean. Severus touched the bottom with his long fingers and then turned upward again, breaking the surface. He could see Diana waiting for him at the other end of the pool, her moon-pale hair almost indistinguishable from the luminous whiteness of her robes.

When, at length, he finally clambered out of the pool, he felt cleaner than he ever had in his whole life. Diana wrapped a robe around him - not black like he uniformly wore, but white, like hers. His long dark hair dripped water onto it, turning it transparent where it clung to his shoulders.

__

White is for the innocent, the pure, the virginal, he thought.

"You have been purified," Diana said with a smile.

*

The next room Diana led him into was empty, apart from three pedestals at the other end. Carved like the last out of living rock, it was a high-vaulted chamber with a soaring ceiling.

"Magnificent," Severus breathed.

"I am glad you think so," Diana replied, her incandescent eyes glimmering in the soft light.

It was a very long room, and Diana led him through it slowly, allowing him to admire the beautiful architecture.

"How was it built?" he asked her.

She smiled enigmatically. "The lady Arachne has her ways."

__

Wights, Severus thought, wishing he had taken Wight Lore when it had been offered at NEWT level. It was no longer part of the curriculum.

At length, they came to the next door, and Severus finally saw what was ensconced on the three pedestals. They were bracelets, made of exquisite silver chain. In each, a different stone glittered.

"No man may make the Elixir of the Stars if his soul does not run deep," Diana said, standing in front of the doors as if she had been one of the Guardian priestesses Severus had encountered earlier. 

"Is this - a test?" Severus asked.

"Of sorts," she replied.

She took the first bracelet of its pedestal. It was set with an emerald that refracted the brilliant light in the chamber into the radiance of a rainbow.

"Severus," Diana said, "name me someone you respect."

Severus thought. _My respect is difficult to gain,_ he thought, _and few have. But there is one…_

"Remus Lupin," he replied. "I respect Remus Lupin."

Diana took his left arm and slid the bracelet over his hand. It sat loosely on his wrist, the brilliance of the silver odd against the dark, twisted scarring of the Mark and the bloody line that clove it. 

When it touched his skin, the emerald suddenly lit up, filling the hall with a dazzling green light. The refracted rainbows were more lovely than anything Severus had ever seen.

"By the testimony of the emerald, this is true," Diana said.

She took the second bracelet off its pedestal. It was identical to the first, but it was set with a sapphire. Unlike the vivid green of the emerald, the sapphire was darker and more restrained, but the slow solemnity of the blue light seemed to make even the beauty of the green look garish.

"Severus," Diana said, "name me someone you consider a friend."

__

If only she had said 'do not' _it would be so much easier,_ Severus considered. _I am not a well-liked man and I do not encourage friendship. But… there is one… one who has given me a second chance, who has trusted me when I have betrayed his trust so often…_

"Albus Dumbledore," he answered. "Albus Dumbledore is my friend."

Like she had before, Diana slid the sapphire bracelet onto his arm. It shone, luminescent, beside the emerald bracelet, before the sapphire brought forth a dazzling blue light, winking off the shining marble of the living rock. It was beautiful.

"By the testimony of the sapphire, this is true," Diana said.

She took down the final bracelet. Like the two that glittered already on Severus's left arm, it was made of delicate silver chain but this time a ruby glittered in the setting.

__

Red like blood, Severus thought with a lurch.

"Severus," Diana said, "name me someone you love."

The answer was clear this, time, clearer than the water that had purified him in the chamber before. But it had been so long since he had brought herself to say her name that he paused, he hesitated, before speaking at last.

"Regina," he replied croakily. "I love Regina."

And at last, as Diana slid the bracelet onto his wrist, as it winked once and filled the chamber with a light more brilliant and radiant than any he had seen before, Severus wept for the woman he had lost sixteen years ago.

"By the testimony of the ruby, this is true," Diana told him tenderly. "Your soul runs deep indeed, Severus." She smiled. "Regina would have been proud."

*

__

Third room, and last, Severus thought as Diana led him into another antechamber. _Three times is magic._

Like the room of the bracelets, this third chamber seemed virtually empty. A large oaken door stood at the end of the hall, much like the one that closed off the High Priestess's inner sanctum from the rest of the Temple of Arachne. On either side of it were two long boxes, covered in a white shroud.

Diana turned to face him. "There are few men who have seen these two that we hold dear to our hearts," she told him. "Our greatest that are lost to us, they guard the doors to the stars. Would you look on them?"

__

Last test and greatest, Severus thought. _A test I will pass. I am strong. I am strong._

"I would," he replied.

"Be warned, Severus," Diana said. "Such a test is not for the weak, nor the faint-hearted. No man may look on their faces and not be changed. Would you look on them?"

__

I am strong.

"I would," he replied.

"You knew them both," she told him softly, "and for you this must be hard, to see them lifeless and remember them live." She took both his hands in hers. "Would you look on them?"

__

Three times is magic.

"I would," he replied, for the third time.

Then, slowly, Diana walked forward and gently, achingly, removed the shroud from the first box.

Severus felt as if a hand of ice was clenched around his heart. There, encased in gold and glass, lay Regina.

She looked not a day older than when he had last seen her. _Seventeen long years, Regina,_ he thought. _Sixteen years since you died. Half a lifetime ago._

Her long brown hair lay around her in ringlets, the refracted light from the brilliant marble walls picking out the gold in it and making it shine. She had always been small - Severus remembered, in those glorious sessions he had spent with her in the Potions classrooms, that she had only come up to his chin - but the year she had spent away from Severus before she died had given her a beautiful, lovely, serene elegance that even in death radiated off her. Her eyes were closed, but he knew, that behind the creamy skin and black lashes, they were still as grey as a stormy sky. The priestesses had dressed her body lovingly in a white gown. 

"She looks… like she's about to be married," Severus said, tears running down his face and splashing on the glass. _Regina,_ he thought. _Oh Regina, Regina, Regina._ "But she was never married. She died -" his voice broke off. There was so much pain in his heart, but so much love as well. _Oh, Regina._

Diana laid her hand on his arm. "Come, Severus," she told him, and, lovingly, she pulled back the second shroud.

This time, Severus did not feel the melancholy and the deep grief hit him. It was pure shock.

"How can it be…?" he breathed.

Like Regina, the second woman looked scarcely a day older than when she died. Her hair lay in a cloud around her, and she was dressed in a long, white gown. She was beautiful, yes, but her beauty was a terrible beauty, a passionate beauty, the fire to Regina's water.

"These are not the bodies of our two best beloved," Diana told him quietly, "but rather the effigies, the simulacrums we preserve in their name. Where their true bodies lie we know not."

__

Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, Severus thought.

"What," he breathed, "is Lily Evans doing here?"

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	18. A Swedish Sunset

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: As promised, you reviewed, I updated! This is a Remus chapter… so sorry to keep you on a cliffhanger with Severus!

One reviewer asked about the line, "_Seventeen long years, Regina,_ he thought. _Sixteen years since you died. Half a lifetime ago." _Rereading I admit it is a little confusing, but it is supposed to read that way. What Severus means is that though Regina died sixteen years ago, they have been parted for seventeen (as she had to spend a year on pilgrimage at the temple.)

Keep the reviews coming! Same deal as always - review and the next part gets posted tomorrow!

__________________

Remus felt an incredible lightness in his heart as he and Aemilia Apparated back to Hogsmeade. _They're alive! _he thought. _Sirius and Regina are alive!_

He hustled Aemilia into the Three Broomsticks so fast that she almost fell over him. "Calm down, Remus!" she told him laughingly. 

"Can't. Too happy," Remus replied, his jaw practically splitting with smiling. "We've got to tell Professor Dumbledore, Aemilia!"

__

They're alive!

"Ah, Mr. Lupin, Miss Fudge!" Madam Rosmerta bustled up to them. "You'll be wanting to Floo back to Hogwarts, yes?"

"Yes, that's right," Aemilia told her. Remus didn't think she trusted his ability not to burst with happiness.

Madam Rosmerta beamed. "Step this way, please," she told them, shepherding towards a roaring fire. She took a jar full of green powder off the mantelpiece. "Since you both look so happy, I'll not charge you anything for the use of the fire."

Aemilia took a pinch of powder and threw it into the flames. "Professor Dumbledore's office at Hogwarts!" she called and was gone.

Madam Rosmerta's smile was, if anything, even wider than Remus's as he took some powder from the proffered jar. "Congratulations to you both!" she whispered in his ear before bustling off, her sparkling red high heels making a clicking sound as she walked.

"Professor Dumbledore's office at Hogwarts!" Remus called, throwing the powder into the flames. Wondering what on earth Rosmerta had meant, he stepped into the green fire and, at length, tumbled out of the grate.

Aemilia laughed. "Don't you ever manage not to fall over when you Floo?" she asked him.

Remus grinned. "Not that I can think of."

Professor Dumbledore wasn't in his office, but considering the near-psychic powers the older wizard seemed to possess, Remus surmised that it would not be long before he was.

"I'm so happy, Aemilia!" he breathed. Impulsively, he picked her up and swung her in a circle.

"Put me down, Remus!" she told him, but she was laughing.

"It's just… after all these years… I never thought I would see her again," Remus said, finally obeying Aemilia and putting her down. "And then when Sirius went through… it was like I'd lost everything. But now…"

"The only way is up," Aemilia said, her face breaking into a smile. "I'm happy for you too, Remus. I really am."

"Thankyou, Aemilia," Remus said, and he enfolded her in a hug.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Remus and Aemilia rapidly disentangled themselves from each other. "No, Professor," Remus replied, but he knew that if his face was as red as Aemilia's, there was no way Dumbledore would believe him.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "I'll take your word for it, then," he said, smiling at them down his long crooked nose.

"Professor," Remus said, as Dumbledore sat down behind his desk, "the most amazing thing happened today!"

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "Really?" His eyes were still twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles.

Remus explained swiftly what had happened, dwelling largely on his conversation with Sirius and Regina. Aemilia interjected occasionally with comments.

"Well, well, well, Remus," Dumbledore said when Remus had finished, leaning back in his chair. "This is interesting."

"You know what this means for the will, don't you?" Aemilia asked excitedly. "If Sirius is alive, then he can't have a will!"

"Yes," Dumbledore replied, but he looked distracted.

"What's wrong, Professor?" Remus asked.

"You said you heard other voices, Remus," Dumbledore said. "Did you… by any chance… hear who they were?"

And Remus remembered. 

"Yes," he almost whispered. "There was one… called Janus. And the other -" he gulped, "- Aberforth."

*

Remus did not know what he expected Dumbledore to do at the news that his brother was behind the veil. Dumbledore was a hard man to predict.

"That's… interesting," Dumbledore said slowly. "It is one mystery solved at least."

He turned his attention to Aemilia, abruptly changing the subject. "Miss Fudge, this make sit doubly important that we win the court case. I cannot impress this one you more firmly."

"Why so?" Aemilia asked. "I have no intention of doing things by halves, if that's what you mean."

"Lily and James's papers contain very important information regarding the nature of death magic," Dumbledore replied. "I know they went to great lengths to discover this information."

"James was an Unspeakable," Remus breathed suddenly. "I always wondered why he chose that career path - he'd always wanted to be an Auror, before that, always! But he went and became an Unspeakable… I hated him for it for a while, because of my mother, but I forgave him."

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes. That is why James inveigled his way into the Department of Mysteries. And Lily's work was also important, though of a different nature. The combined information of their documents must be the most complete resource on death magic the wizarding world has. And it is likely that within these papers lies the secret to breaking down the veil and freeing those trapped behind it."

Remus's heart felt like it was full to bursting. Sirius and Regina had come back, seemingly from the grave. _Oh best beloved, _he thought.

"But, Miss Fudge," Dumbledore said, looking more concerned, "the case may be more difficult than we supposed, even taking into account this new evidence."

"Why?" Aemilia asked, clearly perplexed.

"I received a letter from the Ministry of Magic not long ago," Dumbledore answered, "advising me on who the Counsel to the Dursley family is going to be."

"Umbridge!" Remus breathed immediately.

"No, Remus," Dumbledore replied. "Miss Fudge is to face, I fear, a much greater trial than Dolores Umbridge." He turned to Aemilia. "Your opposing counsel is, my dear, your father."

__________

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	19. A Line Of Gold Thread

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Just because I know you all want to know what's going on with Severus at the mo… I've done you a Remus chapter! *evil laugh* However, I like it because it gives us a bit of a deeper look at Aemilia…

I'm going away for five days starting tomorrow, during which time I won't be able to update. However, because I'm such a nice person, what I'll do is this: later on today, I will post a whole _five_ chapters - the updates for Monday through to Friday. Now, if you're smart, you'll read one chapter a day, but I know you won't! 

…and just because lots of chapters are going up at once doesn't mean you get away from reviewing! You will review every single chapter, won't you, nice people?!

_______________

"Come and have a cup of tea," Remus invited Aemilia when they left Dumbledore's office about fifteen minutes later. _Ah, tea,_ he thought, _that medicine that cures all ills!_

Aemilia still looked slightly shell-shocked. "All right," she answered numbly, but she did not move. 

In the end, Remus took her hand and almost pulled her along behind him. She did not resist, but her dark eyes - usually flashing with some emotion, whether it be anger or laughter - were deadened.

"_Solaris,_" Remus said to a portrait of a jolly-looking man with red cheeks.

"Got a lady-friend, eh?" the portrait replied.

__

Bloody portraits, Remus thought.

Aemilia, however, did not seem to notice. Blindly, she followed Remus through the portrait hole.

"Sit down," Remus told her. He made sure she was actually sitting before he began to make the tea.

Aemilia seemed to be examining her hands with great interest. Her dark hair was falling forward over her face.

"I've only got teabags," Remus told her in an attempt to get her to think of lighter matters, "I hope that's all right."

Aemilia didn't answer.

"Aemilia?" Remus asked. He crossed the room and knelt down in front of her. "Aemilia…"

She was crying, but silently. Silvery tears traced salty tracks down her cheeks, creating tiny splashes on her robes. She made a furious attempt to wipe them away. "I'm sorry, Remus -"

"Don't be," he told her. He took out his wand. "_Accio teacups!_"

The teacups sailed lazily through the air. Remus hoped that too much didn't slop out into the saucer.

He handed her a cup of tea - thankfully largely intact - before taking up his own and sitting on the sofa beside her. She was still crying.

Remus did not think there was anything he could say. Instead, cautiously, he put his arm around her and drew her back to his body in a kind of one-armed hug. "Shhh, Aemilia," he said soothingly.

She sniffed and smiled through her tears. "I don't know what you must think of me," she said. "I feel so… stupid…"

"Aemilia, you're not stupid," Remus reassured her. Putting his cup of tea on a small side table, he used his other hand to turn her face to look at him. "Listen to me. It is perfectly fine to be upset. Perfectly fine."

More tears welled up in Aemilia's eyes and she buried her face in his shoulder. "It's just - " she sobbed into his robes, "it's just that - that wherever I go, or whatever I try to do - I can't get away from him. He's everywhere. Everything at work revolves around what Cornelius Fudge wants. Then, at home, till I left, everything there seemed to revolve around what Cornelius Fudge wants. Remus, I don't like my father! I hate him! I _saw_ what he did last year! He's so - stupid, and thick-headed, and autocratic - and - and it's his fault that your life got made even worse. He tried to totally destroy Harry last year, and because of him, Sirius is stuck behind the veil in the Department of Mysteries… all because he was too damned stubborn to believe Dumbledore. And because he was too much of a coward to believe that - that You-Know-Who might be back… everything that's gone wrong is because of him!"

Remus knew that there was nothing he could do to stop her tirade. But he knew equally well that Aemilia needed someone to listen to her. Just like she had listened to him, only a few nights ago. "I'm here, Aemilia," he said simply.

If anything, Aemilia buried her head even deeper into his shoulder. "And - and I can't go anywhere, or do anything without people going - 'Oh look, there's Cornelius Fudge's daughter!' It's never, 'Oh look, there's Aemilia!' Aemilia doesn't seem to exist in most people's minds. There's only Cornelius Fudge's bloody daughter! I hate him controlling me! He tried to control - who I was, who I would be - even who I would marry, for Merlin's sake! He doesn't care about me at all - he only cares about what benefits I can bring him!"

Remus wrapped both arms around her and held her tightly. "It's all right, Aemilia," he murmured into her hair.

"And - and the ironic thing is that it's worked." Aemilia looked up. Never had Remus seen her dark eyes look deader. 'Even though I've distanced myself from him, it's still 'Cornelius Fudge's daughter - they had a fight.' He's stolen my identity, Remus. And the court case… it's the final nail in the coffin. It's not a battle of two lawyers. It's not Cornelius Fudge versus Aemilia. It's Fudge versus daughter. I can never amount to anything, no matter how much distance I put between myself and my father. I'll always just be Cornelius Fudge's daughter."

"That's not what I saw in you," Remus told her gently.

Aemilia pushed some of her dark hair back from her face with shaking hands. "What did you see in me, then?"

"Let me," Remus said, and delicately, he tucked the flyaway strands of hair behind her ears.

"Thankyou," Aemilia told him.

"Aemilia," Remus told her tenderly, "we haven't been friends for almost twenty years just because your father is Cornelius Fudge."

"I know, but -"

"Let me tell you something," Remus interrupted her gently. 

Aemilia sniffed. "All right."

"This is the story of the first time I ever met someone who accepted me for who I am," Remus began, holding her close. "It was on the train on the way to Hogwarts in our first year of school." He sighed. "You know my childhood, Aemilia - you know it was hard, particularly with my mother. I remember -" he smiled a little at the recollection, "- that I was sitting in a carriage at the end of the train all by myself. I felt very out of place - everyone else seemed to know each other and everyone was talking amongst themselves. I never had friends when I was younger - my father thought it was too dangerous to let me go out. I thought my life at Hogwarts would be more of the same. And then, when I had finally given up any hope of making any friends, a girl walked into my carriage."

Aemilia nestled her head on his shoulder. "Go on," she said, her voice scarcely more than a whisper.

"This girl was very pretty," Remus continued, stroking her hair. "She had long dark hair, but it was pulled back and braided down her back. And she had these eyes - gorgeous eyes. They were dark and deep and they sparkled when she laughed." He smiled. "This girl - she plopped herself down across from me and stuck out her hand. 'Hello, I'm Aemilia,' she said to me. 'Who are you?'"

Aemilia laughed a little. "I remember how taken back you looked as clearly as if it were yesterday."

"I'd never had someone just accost me like that before, you see," Remus went on. "Everyone in my village - well, they knew what I was. Even if my parents had let me out to play with them, I would have been shunned. But then this dark-haired, dark-eyed little girl sat herself down opposite me and asked me who I was. It was the first time someone had unconditionally accepted me as a person, and not a werewolf."

Aemilia smiled a little and burrowed her head deeper into his shoulder.

"Over the next few years, we became friends, this dark-haired girl and I," Remus carried on. "Not as close friends as I would have liked - we were in different houses, you see, I in Gryffindor and she in Ravenclaw. I had my own set of friends, and she had hers. But still, we managed some time, at least once a week, to have some form of conversation, even if it was just studying for Transfiguration together."

"I remember those study sessions," Aemilia said into his shoulder. "You turned me into a fox and couldn't turn me back once, and I had to go to Madam Pomfrey. I was so angry with you."

"But you forgave me," Remus said gently. "That was the important thing, you always forgave me." He cleared his throat. "In our fifth year, this dark-haired girl and I both became prefects, and this meant that we spent a lot more time together than we had in the past. It was around this time - what with James falling head over heels for Lily and Sirius falling head over heels for nearly every girl in the school at sometime or another - that I came to realise that I felt a lot of things for this dark-haired girl. A lot of things indeed."

Aemilia smiled up at him. "And did this dark-haired girl feel these same things back?"

"Well, I wasn't sure at first," Remus replied, smiling back, "because it took me a lot of courage to ask her out. I was never sure where James had got his courage from - he asked Lily out at least four times a week. I felt like such a coward - he could do it so often and it seemed to cost him so little, and here was I, screwing up my courage for one attempt. But, about halfway through my sixth year, I finally did it."

"And what did she say?" Aemilia's dark eyes were soft.

"She laughed at me," Remus answered, "and asked me why it had taken so long to ask her." He sighed. "I loved her well, my dark-haired girl, but I kept a terrible secret from her, and, about a year later, we broke up on terrible terms."

Aemilia did not say anything, but her hand sought out his and she grasped it tightly.

"I could not bear being without her, so I tried to distract myself from her," Remus went on. "I threw myself head-first into the life of a certain sixth-year girl called Regina, whom I loved better than everything in the world. But then, when she disappeared, my heart was broken once again. So it seemed that every person I ever got close to and loved died or was hurt." He sighed again. "I spent twelve very lonely years. During this time, my dark-haired girl and I began to talk to each other again, but it was a shallow pretence. Gradually, our friendship became such a farce that all we would ever do was snipe at each other."

"I'm sorry," Aemilia murmured.

"Don't be," Remus replied softly. "It was my fault as much as yours."

Aemilia smiled tentatively at him. "Thankyou."

"But then, when everything was wrong for me, when I was at my lowest ebb, when everything and everyone I cared for seemed to be gone - my dark-haired girl drew me out of my despair," Remus whispered, brushing black hair back from her face tenderly. "And - what is most important - she forgave me once again." He took a deep breath. "Now the slate is clean and I don't know what is going to happen for me and the dark-haired girl, but what I do know is that I will always be standing right behind her, waiting to catch her if she ever feels the need to fall."

Aemilia laughed, and this time she sounded more like herself. "That is such a cliché, Remus."

"But it's true, you know," he told her, laughing too.

"Well, I'll try not to fall _too_ hard, then," Aemilia said, a wicked smile lighting up her face. "I might be too heavy for you to catch with those scrawny arms."

"Who are you calling scrawny?" Remus said, pretending to be indignant, and began to tickle her mercilessly. 

They laughed together over old times and new all through the night. Remus's cup of tea sat forgotten on the side table, and, as the sun rose the next day, it was a new tomorrow for them both.

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	20. A Ghostly Galleon

A/N: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: In theory, this is the chapter for Monday January 5. However, I'm not going to be around then, so you get it now.

Here is the long-awaited Severus chapter, in which he finally makes his potion... The recipe for the Elixir of the Stars is entirely my own invention (the herbs are symbolic, as some of you may realise) as is the accompanying poem… so enjoy!

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Diana gazed sadly at the effigy of Lily Potter, encased in gold and glass. "Lily came here soon after her marriage," she told Severus. "It is not necessary for a priestess to live at Telae Domus, you know, and Lily did not. She would Apparate in here during the day and then leave in the evening to spend time with her husband, who worked, as you know, in the Department of Mysteries. She never returned after the birth of her son, though." She laid one long, pale hand on the glass that encased the simulacrum. "In the history of the Arachniae at Telae Domus, only three women have never been novices and passed straight to the Second Circle. One was Regina. Helena, whom you met earlier, was another. The third was Lily Potter."

"But, why -"

"I doubt, however," Diana said, almost sharply, "if Lily would have joined us if she had not had the mission of another order at her heart. The Order of the Phoenix, to be precise." She sighed. "We knew what she was doing - she confessed it freely. But, like everyone else, we had no desire to see He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named rise to power. He would have smashed us without a second thought."

"What - was she doing?" Severus asked.

"We have great stores of magic here that many places have forgotten," Diana answered. "Magic that is ancient, that survives only here and in the minds of those long dead. It is said that we traffic with wights, and I do not deny it."

__

Death magic! Severus thought immediately, but did not say anything. He did not think it would be a pertinent - or beneficial - subject to raise.

His eyes were drawn inexorably back to Regina's face. It was hard for him to believe that she was not really there, that it was not her body that lay there, encased in a tomb of gold and glass. _So beautiful_, he thought.

Diana smiled at him. "You have entered this place with love in your heart, and looked on the faces of our best beloved with love still," she said softly. 

She took his hands. "All tests are passed now, Severus," she told him softly. "Beyond these doors is the Chamber of the Loom, where the Elixir of the Stars may be made in the sight of the lady Arachne herself."

As she led him through the final doors, Severus could not resist looking back on Regina's face, one last time.

*

The room Diana led him into was perfectly round, with a high, domed ceiling. In the centre was a cauldron that really looked more, Severus considered, like a baptismal font.

"All that you need is here," Diana told him softly, "if you look with your heart."

He turned to ask her a question but she put a finger to his lips. "The Goddess will provide, Severus," she said, smiling. "She always does."

And then, silently, she Disapparated, leaving Severus alone.

Severus exhaled audibly. For a moment, he simply stood where he was, perfectly still, but after a second or so he walked toward the cauldron.

His first assumption had been right - the cauldron did look a lot like a baptismal font, but it was much deeper. Instead of being made out of pewter like the cauldrons Severus generally worked with - though he had worked with gold cauldrons before - this cauldron was made out of marble. Inside, it was coated with what looked like silver to prevent the stone soaking up the fluid, but, when Severus touched it, he discovered it was pewter, polished to a high shine.

Severus took a deep breath, and then another, and another. He tried to recall the page in the book that had contained the recipe to the Elixir of the Stars. Regina's book.

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Love begins and love ends all

So, if you wish to touch the sky

First add three flowers of acacia

Gathered when the moon hangs high

"Three acacia flowers, gathered under a moonlit sky," Severus muttered. "Love herbs."

He cast around, but he could see no ingredients. _The Goddess will provide,_ Diana had told him, but she did not seem to be providing any time soon.

He closed his eyes. _Regina,_ he thought, _help me. Please._

So useless, it seemed. He passed all these tests that the priestesses had set them. He had changed - and was it for naught? 

Hopelessly, he opened his eyes. His face broke into a smile.

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Oh Regina, he thought.

There, before him, were three acacia flowers.

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Regina, he thought. _Oh lady, lady, lady._

*

Severus threw the acacia flowers into the cauldron one by one as he tried to remember the next step.

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Stir nine times right with a sprig of cedar

Then add thereto a leaf of tansy

In honour of air that we all breathe

Add straight after a yellow pansy

"Cedar," he said aloud, his voice sounding hoarse. "Regina, I need cedar, tansy leaf and a yellow pansy blossom."

It seemed to him that more and more things were appearing before him. It as if they had always been there - he had just not been looking right. _Look with your heart, find out what you already know, and you'll see the proper way,_ Regina had told him once.

Severus smiled. "Oh, Regina," he said, not caring that nobody could hear him. "Regina, you were wiser than all of us put together."

He took up the cedar and stirred the flowers nine times clockwise, though there was no liquid to mix them with, before throwing in the tansy and the pansy. 

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Fire is the source of life

For this grace pour nettle wine

Into the cauldron, stir it twice

With a sprig of the jasmine vine

After this wait minutes ten

Before adding a sheaf of wheat

Powder it well so it is like the soil

Of the earth beneath your feet

Beneath the cauldron light a flame

For eight minutes let it burn

Then add a pint of water

And a frond of a spring-green fern

Stir it well with a finger

Then add a leaf of mistletoe

Stir it again, nine times left

As it is above, so below

In your life there is joy

There is hope, and there are woes

But in the hope of a greater love

Lastly, add one red rose.

Now the potion is close on complete

Stir it thrice with a silver spoon

And when Arachne's daughters drink of it

You too, perhaps, may touch the moon.

Making the potion seemed a bit of a blur to Severus. When, at last, he had finished, he stood back and admired his work.

The recipe, as he remembered it, had not been difficult, though the particulars were quickly slipping from his mind. He supposed there must have been some sort of eldritch memory spell on the recipe so that it was not made illegally. However, he could never remember a potion ever being such a labour of love.

A fine vapour was rising from the cauldron, twisting upward in tendrils of shining silver and gold, spiralling higher, illuminating the room with its radiance.

"Let there be light," Severus murmured.

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	21. Interlude: A Single Garment Of Destiny

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: This is the Tuesday chapter. 

It is also a Sirius interlude, in which something actually *gasp* happens to Sirius, instead of him just getting cosy with Reggie…

One reviewer asked what 'wights' were. As I'm sure you've noticed, wights (as well as the word 'eldritch' which means 'to do with wights') have been mentioned a number of times. Basically they're like magical creatures, but there is an intrinsic different. While the spark of 'life' animates creatures, the spark of 'magic' animates wights. They're like incarnations of pure magic. The Arachniae traffic with them, and, yes, they will be important later on.

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Sirius took a deep breath, and another, and another.

Regina laid one hand on his arm. "Are you ready for this?" she asked him quietly.

Sirius nodded determinedly. "I'll do whatever it takes to get out of here."

"This first time, all I am going to do is project my spirit out of the Void," Regina explained. "It's as much an experiment as anything else - and it will help me get my bearings a little and let me see if there is any way we can break this place in two. May I borrow your wand?"

"Of course," Sirius replied, handing it to her.

Regina ripped a bit of cloth from his sleeve. "_Novacula Aparecium!_" The fabric shred changed into a knife. The blade was curved and looked wickedly sharp.

She took his left arm and pulled back his sleeve. "Are you sure you're ready?"

Sirius closed his eyes, thought of Harry, of Remus, of Dumbledore. "Yes," he replied firmly.

Regina traced a line down his arm with the blade. "By this blood, Arachne, I conjure thee, let me walk the way between the worlds!"

Sirius felt an odd shiver go down his spine. This was magic, certainly, but magic as he had never seen it worked before. This magic was so… earthy, and primal, and so… human. _It is like the magic of wights,_ he thought suddenly.

Regina placed a hand on either side of Sirius's head. "By the greatness of this man's soul, Arachne, I conjure thee, let me walk the way between the worlds!"

It felt, Sirius thought dazedly, as if someone had just used Legilimency on him - but much more inexorable Legilimency than he had ever experienced. It was like a knife cutting through his consciousness, exposing everything he was, had been, had ever felt, would ever feel, would ever be.

Regina raised the wand. "By the magic of the space between, Arachne, I conjure thee, let me walk the way between the worlds!"

There was a blinding flash of light. Sirius had to shield his eyes.

When he looked back, Regina was gone.

*

Sirius paced the boundaries of the Void-bubble incessantly. _What if she does not come back?_ his mind screamed. _What if she has escaped and you are left here, to dwell in darkness eternally?_

Reggie would not do that, he told himself firmly. _She would never do that._

What if she could not help it? his mind retorted.

Sirius forced himself to think of other things. He put one hand on the Void-wall…

…and felt his arm break through to somewhere completely different.

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	22. Vinegar From The Wine

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: This is the Wednesday chapter.

There is a quote from King Lear in this chapter. I don't own that, but Shakespeare's dead, so I don't think he's going to sue me.

This chapter: Severus broods, Regina makes a cameo and Helena is sweet.

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Severus sat, staring at the beautiful mixture he had made. It had not taken him long, but it seemed… so inestimable. So wondrous. So beautiful.

__

Regina would have been proud. Diana's earlier words echoed in his head.

He looked down to where the three bracelets encircled his wrist. _Respect, friendship and love,_ he thought.

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One to spin, one to weave, one to cut.

He sighed. It had been Regina who had told him the tale of the Moerae.

"In the Great Carding Room they sit," she had said, "one spinning, one weaving, one cutting. Thus it is that they cut short or weave longer the threads of life that keep us all alive. But it is the Lady Arachne who dictates what is that they weave."

"So we are all just… threads on a tapestry?" he had asked her dubiously.

She had smiled. "The most beautiful tapestry that has ever been woven."

"Oh, Regina," he said aloud. "Why was your thread cut?"

He pondered that question. _Why?_

Why should she, who was worthy, die before all those unworthy? Why is it that her thread, a thread like unto cloth of gold, was cut, when threads like the Dark Lord's are still woven?

Why should a dog, a horse, a rat have life, and thou have no breath at all?

Severus smiled his bitter smile. Shakespeare was right. It was unjust.

But still the question remained. _Why? Why take her, when so many more deserved to die?_

Such a beautiful thread, cut short so soon. So soon.

"Oh, my Regina," he moaned, "come back to me. Come back."

"Severus?"

*

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I must be dreaming, Severus thought dazedly. _Sweet mother of Merlin, it must be a dream!_

"Are - are you an angel?" he asked haltingly.

She was so bright, and shining, her already radiant beauty surrounded by a brilliant corona of light. _Oh lady,_ he thought, _lady, lady, lady._

"No," she answered. "Is this - the innermost sanctum?"

"Yes," he replied.

"What are doing here?"

"Making a potion," he answered. "Reg - Regina, is that you?"

She smiled. "Yes."

In two strides he was at her side. "Oh Regina," he whispered. "I have missed you."

"I am not physically here, Severus," she told him. "This is a projection of my spirit, if you like."

"Are you -"

"No, I am not dead," she answered.

"Where are you?" he asked. "Tell me where you are, and I swear I'll come and find you."

"I am behind the veil," she answered. "Do not follow."

__

Behind the veil…

…with him.

"Is Black with you?" he asked coldly.

"Yes," she answered. "And we will find a way out."

Severus felt jealousy, green and bitter, claw through his soul. _Even in death, Black gets the girl,_ he thought.

"Why are you here?" he asked coldly.

"I am preparing the way," she answered. 

"For what?"

"For us all to come home," she whispered. Her form was fading.

Jealousy was forgotten in his aching need to talk more with her. "Regina - don't go! Don't leave me! Regina -"

"Goodbye, Severus," she said, and with a blinding flash of light, she was gone.

"- I love you," he finished, and sank to the ground, head in his hands.

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Oh lady, lady, lady.

*

The potion was still smoking, silver and gold dancing in a spiral towards heaven, but Severus was oblivious to its beauty now.

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Regina, he thought. _Oh lady, lady, lady._

The jealousy was coming back full force now. It was like a disease within him, rotting his soul from the inside out.

__

The good guy always gets the girl Severus, a snide little voice in his mind told him, _and you are definitely not the good guy._

He knew that was true enough. Compared to Sirius Black, he could never be anything but the bad guy. Sirius was the handsome man with music in his fingers and in his soul, wrongfully imprisoned, wronged by many, who had fought back from his prison to be with his godson… only to die a terrible - but heroic - death.

But he? What was Severus?

__

I am the greasy-haired git, he thought, _who bullies and abuses his students just like his father abused him. Who hates Black's godson, even though he has done nothing to deserve it, because we all know that the sins of the father are not the sins of the son. I will always be the villain. I will always be the one of dubious alliance, the one that everyone doubts. I will always be in the shadows._

And what choice was she to make? She, perfect, beautiful, lovely, serene, tragic Regina? She who was loved by three men more than life itself?

What woman would ever choose Severus Snape?

__

And now, as always, Black has won, he thought bitterly. _Even in death, he haunts me, because he got the girl._

All the wars of our youth, and finally, resolution. Black wins. I - I get nothing.

The heroine never falls in love with the bad guy. It doesn't work like that.

"Severus."

The voice was insistent, but he resisted.

"Severus."

Inexorable, but he was strong.

"Severus."

__

Three times is magic.

One to spin, one to weave, one to cut.

Helena took his hand and drew him to his feet. "I know she was here," she told him softly.

"She does not love me," he answered, and the tears came at last.

"Severus."

"Yes?"

"Yes."

Severus's brow furrowed. "What?"

"Yes, she does love you," Helena told him, leading him to a stone bench and sitting him down.

"But -"

"There is more love in her heart than can be given to one person," Helena told him gently. "And she came here for a reason. It was not because this is the home of the goddess. She came here because of you."

"Because - of me?"

"Only one that loves her could have seen her," Helena told him. She laid a hand on his brow. "You are absolved, Severus."

__

Perhaps I am not the bad guy after all, Severus thought, and he smiled.

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	23. Uncontrolled May Scorch

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: This is the Thursday chapter.

The poem in this is, I admit, inspired by the famous _Song of Amergin_ - which everyone should read, whether or not they are familiar with the myth of Erin and Amergin or not. However, it is my own work.

This chapter: Something life-altering happens to Severus… and the question is this: will he regret his actions forever?

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The music of the silver flute was the most eerie, eldritch thing Severus had ever heard in his life. Setting the cauldron down in the middle of the courtyard, he stood for a moment and just listened.

He realised, after a moment, that there were three flutes playing, not just one. Together, they created a beautiful harmony, intricate as the crescent moon was bright where it hung, smiling down on the glade.

Helena laid her hand on his arm. "Do not be afraid," she told him.

It was very different out here than it had been in the temple. The glade he had spent the night in only a day or so ago seemed luminously alive. Something powerful was afoot, and he could sense it.

"Should I take the cover off the cauldron yet?" he asked Helena gruffly.

"I think you might," Helena replied, taking her wand from her sleeve. "_Incendio!_"

An enormous faggot of wood in the middle of the glade caught fire and began to crackle merrily. It lit up all the corners of the glade, driving back the shadows, mixing with moonlight, silver light and gold.

"What is this celebration?" he asked.

"It is Midsummer Eve," Helena replied. "The most magical night of the year."

Severus took the cover off the cauldron, and the mist, still rising from it, mixed with the firelight and moonlight, creating a spiral staircase to heaven. He heard Helena draw in a breath beside him. "Beautiful," she murmured.

He cast her a quizzical look. "Surely you have seen it before?"

"Not like that," she replied, eyes wide with amazement. "You truly are a great potion-master, Severus."

From the direction of the temple Severus heard three successive chimes, as if someone had rung a gong. "Is it -"

"It is time," Helena cut him off.

Priestesses began to enter the glade, but they were not subdued as they had been when Severus had seen them in the temple. Not clad in grey were they, not brown and black, but white, all of them, as if they were all the High Priestess. And they were laughing, laughing as if it were the merriest night they had lived.

Severus looked at Helena at his side, still dressed in black. She smiled at him. "I will return soon," she whispered, and Disapparated.

He noticed that many of the priestesses were looking at him, the lone male in the glade, clad in sombre black once more, the epitome of solemnity and gravity, standing alone by a cauldron that spiralled smoke into the heavens. They were laughing still, but it was not the laughter he received from some of the students back at Hogwarts. "Look at his hair!" some of the Hogwarts girls would squeal, and "greasy git," the boys, and he had to try hard not to let it get to him. He was not a teacher to be liked. He was a teacher to teach.

But tonight he was not a teacher, and he was very conscious of that. And tonight he was not the greasy git, and of that he was equally conscious. The purification in the sanctum had left him dripping wet and unsoiled, his sallow skin no longer a sickly yellow but a soft gold, his hair no longer lank but clean.

Tonight he was not a teacher. Tonight he was a man.

*

An inestimable silence fell over the glade like a white wave sweeping to the shore.

"My sisters, tonight we drink of the stars!"

Diana's voice, Diana the high priestess. In the silver and gold light, her moon-pale hair shone, iridescent, refracting rainbows in a myriad of spectra. _She is beautiful, _Severus thought, and he - who never called anything beautiful if he could help it - meant it.

"Tonight," Diana went on, "is Midsummer Eve, holy Litha, when the weft of the tapestry becomes visible to those who would see it."

__

One to spin, one to weave, one to cut.

Three times is magic.

"And tonight is the night when the new high priestess of the Arachniae shall be chosen!"

__

A new high priestess? Severus thought, slightly startled. _No-one told me anything of that…_

"I have served the Lady as her high priestess now for ten years," Diana continued. "It is time now for someone new to lead us."

__

It is cowardice! Severus thought suddenly. _She does not want to be held responsible if the Dark Lord should swoop down on the Arachniae!_ The wheels in his mind began to turn over. _Of course… if the Dark Lord were to confront the Arachniae, the one he would torture for information would be the High Priestess - as an example if not anything else. Diana is a coward._ He looked around guiltily, afraid that one of the priestesses would have picked up on his thoughts, but the only one looking at him was Helena, and she was smiling.

"Drink, then, of the stars, my sisters," Diana exclaimed, smiling, "and the goddess will make her choice known!"

Severus began doling out the potion in silver goblets as the priestesses came to collect it. He noticed that even now, in what seemed to be a time of dissolution of rank in the Arachniae, the higher priestesses took precedence over the lower. He wondered if it were lore or just a subconscious decision. Diana had drunk first.

Helena, however, was last in line. She drank deep of the potion when Severus handed her a goblet. "Beautiful," she breathed.

Severus smiled. "A potion brewer likes to know his work is appreciated."

"Will you drink yourself?"

The question seemed to come out of left wing. "I didn't think I was supposed to."

Helena smiled. "It is entirely a matter of choice, Severus."

Severus gazed at the cauldron. It was still half full, gold and silver tendrils spiralling to the sky. And, on looking on the beauty that he had created, dour, sour, controlled Severus Snape decided to take a chance.

"All right," he answered, and drank.

*

It was like nothing else he had ever experienced. Severus, being a potions master, had tried many a potion in his day - after he had researched all the side effects, of course. Severus Snape was the epitome of caution and control. But this… this was abandon.

The world was more vividly coloured, the light brighter, the sounds clearer, the smells more poignant. _It is more real than the real thing,_ he thought.

From what he had heard of the Arachniae and their narcotics, most of them produced an altered state of consciousness. But this was not altered… it was… clearer, and he felt more lucid than he had ever felt. _I feel,_ he thought, _like a god…_

He felt Helena's hand in his. "Come," he heard her say, and he followed her.

The world seemed to shimmer before his eyes, and he saw the tapestry, the tapestry designed by Arachne and created by the Moerae. Before his eyes, he saw it being woven. His thread was a deep, rich green. It was intertwined with a golden thread. Regina's thread. Her thread also bound the crimson thread of Sirius Black, the sapphire thread of Remus Lupin. Helena's thread was silver and looped around his, around the white thread of Diana's, crossing with Regina early on. 

__

All threads are intertwined, Severus realised, _and so are all lives. And life goes on, even after death. That is the greatest magic._

There was a ripple of sound around him. "Choose…" the priestesses were chanting. "Choose… choose… choose… choose…"

And Diana began to speak.

__

"I am the weft of the Goddess Arachne

"I am the people of Telae Domus

"I am a spear that pierces truth not blood

"I am a cauldron of mirth and plenty

"I am a sword wielded in peace

"I am a stone that sings of destiny

"I am the people of the dance

"Who but I sets the cool head aflame with fire?

"Who but I looks from the great dolmen arch?

"I am Diana, High Priestess of the Arachniae

"I am Telae Domus, temple of destiny

"Come forth, Priestess of the Third Circle

"You who do claim the right of sovereignty

"Be swift and be cunning

"And together we shall sing the final incantation!"

There was a sea of murmuring around Severus. "Who shall speak… who shall the goddess choose… who shall be the new High Priestess?"

And when she spoke, it was achingly, breakingly right.

__

"Come them, and meet me

"In the Land Upon the Waves

"And we shall harvest the apples

"That are under the sea

"I am Telae Domus of the blood, dark battle host

"I am the people of free companions

"I am the torc of gold, brighter than the sun

"I am the hero's light, the flame of courage on the brow

"I am fír flámethon, lady's truth

"Through me

"Darkness yields to light

"Sorrow to joy

"I am a breaker threatening doom

"The boar-champion, ruthless and red

"I am the tomb of your hope

"I am the daughter of Arachne, lady of weavers

"I am Helena, High Priestess!"

__

A dark dawning, then, for the Arachniae, Severus thought dazedly, before the new High Priestess took his hand and dragged him away, deep into the woods.

In the morning, satiated, he slept at last.

_______________

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And… please review the other chapters I have posted at the same time as this! Please!


	24. Hail The Rising Sun

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: This is the Friday chapter - the last of the five chapter update.

Well, Severus has been getting a little bit angsty, hasn't he? Especially now that he and Helena have done something they may well regret…

…which is why we're rounding up the week with a nice light Remus chapter here, in which not much happens…

____________

Remus awoke the next morning with an awful crick in his neck and a heap of black hair in his face.

He brushed it away gently, and smiled down on Aemilia. In sleep, she looked as innocent as a child, and her lips were curved in a slight smile.

He shook her gently. "Aemilia?"

"Mjuhuygtf."

"Aemilia?"

"Nkvjhgdvctuyf."

He smiled. "AEMILIA!"

She sat bolt upright. "I'm awake!"

"Now you are," he commented wryly, getting up. "I need to owl this stuff off for Harry if he's going to get it any time today."

"It's his birthday, isn't it?"

Remus nodded. "Yes."

Aemilia looked thoughtful. "Has Harry ever had a birthday party?"

"Doubt it," Remus answered. "Do you want a cup of tea?"

"Yes please," Aemilia replied. There was a pause before she spoke again. "Remus, if he's never had a birthday party, don't you think we should give him one?"

Remus sighed. "I would love to give Harry a birthday party, Aemilia," he answered, "but Dumbledore won't let us take him away from Privet Drive at this stage. And he is safer there than anywhere else."

"So?"

Remus looked at her strangely. "What?"

She smiled cheekily at him. "We'll have his party there."

Remus laughed. "Aemilia, I don't -"

"Think about it," she pressed him. "The boy's never had a party before. Why? The Dursleys. Don't you think they deserve to see him happy as much as he deserves to be happy?"

"Well, if Dumbledore agrees…" Remus felt himself grinning. _I feel like a Marauder again,_ he thought.

*

"A party?" Dumbledore said when Remus raised the issue over breakfast.

"Come on, Professor!" Aemilia urged him. "You know Harry gets treated horribly! You know that he's never had a birthday party!"

"I do know that," Dumbledore replied, "which is why I say yes with my whole heart - but on one condition."

"What's that?" Remus asked.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "That I can come."

*

And so it was that Remus Lupin found himself on the doorstep of Number Four Privet Drive, with almost thirty Disillusioned witches and wizards.

"We're going round the back to set up!" Aemilia whispered. He could almost hear her grinning. "Knock!"

When he heard them go, Remus knocked.

There was a yell of, "BOY! GET THE DOOR!" from inside, followed by, "Vernon, he's pruning the rosebushes at the moment!" from Petunia.

A few seconds later, Vernon opened the door. His face twisted into a nasty grimace when he saw Remus. "You!" he snarled.

"Hello," Remus replied politely.

"If you think you're coming into my house again, you can ruddy well forget it!"

Remus smiled his caustic, wolfish smile. "Oh, I think you will let me in, Mr. Dursley. I really do."

Vernon's face went purple. "Is that… Snape fellow hanging around anywhere?"

"No, he isn't," Remus answered truthfully.

"Come in, then," Vernon said gruffly.

"Where's Harry?" Remus asked when Vernon had closed the door.

"He's pruning the rosebushes," Vernon answered.

"May I see him?"

Vernon eyeballed him suspiciously. "Why?"

"Do I need a reason?" Remus asked. He'd be interested to here Vernon's reasoning on _this_ point. And it gave him an opportunity to waste some time so the others could set up.

Vernon's face turned purple. "I am the boy's guardian -"

"Not doing much guarding then, are you?" Remus said snidely.

"I'll have you know -"

"That you've mistreated Harry since the day he turned up on your doorstep? I couldn't expect someone like you to understand what Harry is, or what he means. You call his parents vagabonds and vagrants - but the truth is, Lily and James Potter were more than you could ever comprehend."

Vernon opened his mouth, then closed it. He looked some kind of a bloated goldfish.

"I would like," Remus said very calmly, "to see Harry."

"Out back," Vernon mumbled, and scuttled away.

Remus sighed. "As much as could be expected," he murmured, before moving towards the back yard.

*

Remus smiled when he saw Harry. True to the plan, he hadn't noticed anything. Everyone in the yard was Disillusioned, so he could not see them.

He appeared to be trying to prune some very large rosebushes with shears almost as long as he was. Remus could hear him muttering under his breath. "Bloody roses… can't wait till next year, when I can use magic out of school… just one more year till I'm seventeen, and I can Apparate places and won't have to stay so bloody long with the bloody Dursleys."

"Want some help, Harry?"

"GAH!" In an instant, Remus found himself looking down Harry's wand. _Paranoid as Mad-Eye,_ Remus thought.

"You look like Professor Lupin," Harry said, "but for all I know you're a Death Eater in disguise. Tell me something only the real Lupin would know."

"You obviously took Mad-Eye's advice to heart them," he commented dryly. "I see you don't keep your wand in your back pocket any more."

Harry's face broke into a grin. "It _is_ you!"

Remus shook Harry's hand heartily and clapped him on the back. "You were expecting someone else, perhaps?"

"Well, no… an owl maybe, from Ron or Hermione, because it's my birthday, but they seem to have forgotten." Harry sighed. He looked depressed. "Why are you here, Professor?"

"Oh, just to say hello," Remus said casually, "and to wish you a happy birthday."

Harry smiled. "Thanks, Professor."

Remus pulled the parcel out that he and Aemilia had bought in Diagon Alley yesterday and enlarged it to its normal size. "Judging by what you were muttering, I think you'll appreciate it."

Harry tore the gaily coloured wrapping paper off. It was a large and heavy book, but Remus thought that it would probably be more interesting than the tomes he knew Hermione was prone to buying him. "_A Beginner's Guide To Apparition,_" he breathed. "Wow, Professor!"

"I'm glad you like it," Remus said, "but I do have something else for you."

"What?"

Remus smiled. "Look over there, Harry," he said, pointing down towards the back of the yard.

"SURPRISE!"

____________

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See you Saturday with the next chapter…


	25. A Housemaid In Downing Street

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Well, I'm back! And thank you soooooooo much for the reviews! Reviews make Issy happy!

One reviewer (Cerulane, I believe) asked if she could translate the story into French. Go for it! Just make sure my name stays with it.

Something major about Reggie is revealed in this chapter…

_______________

Harry looked up at him, wide-eyed. "A - a birthday party?"

Remus smiled. "What else?"

He began to tap his wand on people's heads, lifting the Disillusionment charms. People began to melt into view, no longer human chameleons.

"Wotcher, Harry!" Tonks said cheerfully, pushing a large gift wrapped in bright yellow paper into his hands.

"Happy birthday, Harry," Fred Weasley said with a wink, handing him a gift Remus knew would either explode or implode in Harry's face.

"I promise it's not illegal," Mundungus Fletcher muttered as he put a suspiciously cauldron-shaped package at Harry's feet. 

Remus had never seen Harry look so happy. _Poor boy,_ he thought suddenly. _he has been treated worse than any of us ever understood. James and Lily would turn over in their graves if they knew what was happening to their boy._

Aemilia was the last person to give Harry a gift. "I realise you don't know me very well, Harry," she said to him, "but I do have something for you."

Harry smiled. He hadn't stopped smiling, really. "Really?"

Aemilia pulled a package out from her robes and enlarged it. "I was at school with your mum and dad," she told him, "as well as a certain Mr. Lupin -" she shot a mischievous glance in Remus's direction, "- and your mum and I were pretty good friends." She handed the package to Harry. "This was her diary from her seventh year. She left it to me, but I really think you should have it."

There was a mixture of happiness and sadness in Harry's eyes. "Wow… this really means a lot to me, Miss Fudge."

Aemilia wrinkled her nose. "Call me Aemilia. Fudge is a stupid last name."

Harry grinned. "Yeah, it is pretty stupid."

Aemilia laughed. "Anyway, if you can't call ol' Uncle Remus's old girlfriend by her first name, I don't know who you can."

Harry's eyes widened. "You were Professor Lupin's _girlfriend_?"

"Harry," Remus called over his shoulder, "call me Remus, would you? Lupin is a stupid last name."

Remus, Aemilia and Harry all laughed.

*

Remus left Aemilia and Harry sitting side by side, Aemilia doubtlessly regaling Harry with tales of the Marauders' exploits at school. He wondered if he should regret telling her some of them, but brushed it off.

"Professor?" he said to Dumbledore.

"Yes, Remus?" Dumbledore replied. He was wearing vivid purple robes decorated with shooting stars and a violent fuchsia hat. _Lucky this place has been made Unplottable for the day,_ Remus thought, _or the neighbours really would have something to say. _

"I was wondering…"

"If you could tell Harry about Sirius?"

Remus nodded. "Yes. I think he has a right to know."

Dumbledore sighed. "Harry had a right to know many things which I did not see fit to tell him until last year." He paused for a moment, looking contemplative. "Yes, I think you might tell him. I think we owe him that much."

Remus's face broke into a grin. "Thankyou, Professor."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Just make sure you tell him not to get his hopes up too high."

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"

*

"Um, hi Uncle Vernon," Harry said weakly from where he sat beside Aemilia.

Vernon's face was so round and purple it looked like a giant grape. "BOY!"

Remus folded his arms on his chest. "I believe you will find, Dursley," he said from between his teeth, "that none of this was Harry's fault at all."

"WHOSE RUDDY FAULT IS IT, THEN, IF IT'S NOT HIS!?"

__

If we get lucky, Remus thought, _he just might explode._

"Mine."

Aemilia stood up and marched over to Vernon. They were so close together their noses were practically touching.

"This boy," she hissed, "has never had a birthday party in his life. I don't believe you've bothered to remember his birthday for several years."

"He should be grateful he's got a place to live AT ALL!" Vernon roared.

"_Protego,_" Aemilia said calmly, and Vernon's spit ricocheted back into his face. He spluttered indignantly.

Harry looked uncertain. "Er… Professor Dumbledore? Don't you think it would be better if you all -"

"- left?" Dumbledore smiled. "Oh no, Harry, I don't think that. I don't think that at all."

"This party was my idea," Aemilia told Vernon, "and I will bear full responsibility. And you - well, you can fly to Mars on a thestral for all I care."

Vernon's face, if possible, turned even more purple. "I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW -"

"Vernon!" Petunia hissed from inside. "The neighbours can hear you!"

"They can't see or hear us," Aemilia told him cheerfully. "Little charm we put on the place for the day. But you… you'll be getting some very strange enquiries, I think. Isn't talking to yourself the first sign of madness?"

Vernon's eye twitched. "I'll find some way to make you pay!" he hissed, before marching back inside to raucous cheering from the magical folk gathered outside.

Remus, after a few moments, went and tapped Harry on the arm. "Harry," he said under his breath, "I need to talk to you."

*

Harry followed Remus a little way away from the rest of the party. "What is it, Professor Lupin?"

"Remus, Harry," Remus corrected him.

"Remus, then." Harry's face clouded over. "Nothing bad has happened, has it?"

Remus smiled. "No. Quite the opposite, really."

Harry's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Really?"

"Before I do, Harry," Remus said, "Dumbledore said to warn you not to get your hopes up."

Harry nodded. "All right."

"You remember…" Remus gulped. How was he going to phrase this. "…the Department of Mysteries?"

Harry suddenly became very interested in his hands. "Yeah."

"You remember the veil?"

"Like I'm going to forget, Prof - Remus."

"Well," Remus said slowly, "we have reason to believe that Sirius is still alive behind the veil."

There was a moment of silence as Harry sat, stunned. "Still - alive?"

Remus smiled warmly. "That's what I said."

"But - but I thought it was the wizard version of the death penalty, or something like that!"

"Why would we need a death penalty?" Remus asked. "We have Azkaban, and you have to agree that Azkaban is worse than death." He sighed. "No… the veil is the result of Unspeakables playing with death. Sirius told us that he thinks it's a collapse of part of the wall of the Void."

He expected Harry to ask something like 'What is the Void?' but Harry had clearly caught the important part in his sentence. "Sirius told you?"

Remus grinned. "I talked to him."

"You talked to him?" Harry's face was white with a mixture of shock and excitement. "Can I? Let's go!"

"No, Harry," Remus said gently. "Not today, anyway."

Harry was still grinning. "Professor Snape will be angry!"

"Why?" Remus asked.

"Well… he hates Sirius, doesn't he? It would absolutely kill him to see his worst enemy back from the dead." There was a thought in Harry's eyes. "Professor - I mean, Remus - why does Snape hate Sirius so much?"

"Well," Remus said carefully, "you've heard the story -"

"- about the trick and the Whomping Willow and stuff, but…" Harry looked as if he were tyring to find the right words, "- there's something more. Isn't there?"

Remus sighed. "Yes, Harry. Yes, there is." He took a deep breath. "When we were all in our seventh year - me and Sirius and Snape and your mum and dad, that is - there was this girl in sixth year."

"What was her name?"

"Regina," Remus replied. "Anyway, Snape was already all bitter and twisted - and Merlin only knows that he hated your dad even more than he already had before, not only because of the life debt, but because James was happy. He had Lily."

Harry looked aghast. "Snape wanted to go out with my mum?"

"No, no!" Remus laughed. "Anyway, I had Aemilia, and your dad had your mum, and all seemed right - until Sirius decided he wanted a girlfriend too."

"And he chose this - Regina girl?" Harry asked.

"Yes he did," Remus replied. "Regina was a beautiful girl, Harry. She had long brown hair, but when the sun caught it, it would bring out these glorious hints of gold. She was terribly clever, too. And wherever she went… she'd exude this sort of - well, I guess you'd call it serenity."

Remus could see the wheels turning over in Harry's mind. "But Snape -"

"For the longest time, Regina and Snape would fight in the hallways and argue, and that sort of thing," Remus answered. "She was brilliant at Potions, you see, and Snape was jealous. But in our seventh year… well, it became evident that he liked Regina, and liked her a lot more than a friend."

"And that's the reason!" Harry breathed. "They both liked the same girl!"

Remus nodded. "Yes, they did." He smiled, remembering. "I beat Snape up when I found out he was after Regina."

Harry looked perplexed. "Shouldn't… Sirius have done that?"

"Oh, I'm sure he did too," Remus replied. "But you've got to understand, Harry… I loved that girl more than life itself."

Now Harry looked really confused. "But Professor… what about Aemilia?"

Remus laughed. "I'm forgetting you don't know, Harry."

"Know what?"

Remus looked at him piercingly with his grey-green eyes. "Regina," he said slowly, "was my sister."

____________

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Next chapter… what has happened to Sirius?


	26. Interlude: Blackbirds Sing Along The Riv...

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter - keep 'em coming!

And now _The Space Between The Stars_ is getting translated into French! Wow! Thanks Cerulane!

This chapter is a Sirius interlude, in which (unusually for Sirius interludes, I guess!) something happens!

And remember… I have other stories on fanfiction.net as well that would like to be read… especially _Cheese_!

______________ 

Sirius sat up hurriedly. _What the hell just happened?_ he thought. Looking around, one thing became apparent.

"Toto," he said under his breath, "I don't think we're in Kansas any more."

The Void-bubble had been dark, and there had been no light until that day when Sirius had fallen through and lit up his wand. But this place…

…well, it looked like the real world, only much more real than the world.

He scrambled to his feet. He seemed to be in the middle of a forest somewhere, in a glade. The trees were green and the sun beat down on his head. It felt like the middle of summer.

__

Am I, Sirius thought, _back home?_

But then he realised where, in fact, he was, and he began to run through the trees, blindly, till he got where he knew he had to go.

Godric's Hollow.

*

The last time Sirius had visited Godric's Hollow, the entire place had been a blackened ruin. He had pulled the bodies of James and Lily from the rubble, unmarked but irresistibly, inexorably dead. He had asked Hagrid - sent on Dumbledore's orders - for Harry, but Hagrid had refused. After Hagrid had left, Sirius took a shovel from the detritus of James's garden shed and began to dig. 

There they lay, side by side. _James and Lily Potter,_ their headstone read, followed by one word in Latin.

__

Percarus.

Much loved. 

And then, after he had buried them, Sirius wept.

But now…

Now Godric's Hollow was whole again, the cheerful little cottage that he thought dwelt only in his memories. Smoke was puffing from all three chimneys, and roses, red, yellow and white, grew in the front yard, while honeysuckle and ivy crept up the walls.

Sirius went to the door, raised the knocker shaped like a stag with many-tined antlers and knocked.

Once.

Twice.

Thrice. 

There was a moment of silence, and Sirius was about to turn away, believing it all a delusion, an illusion, when…

…with a familiar creak, the door opened.

"Come in, Sirius," a voice came from within. "We have been expecting you."

*

Blindly, numbly, Sirius followed the red-haired woman into the house. It was just as he remembered it. The place was littered with photos - photos of the Marauders, photos of Lily and her friends, Lily and James on their wedding day, baby Harry. But there were more photos now - photos of Harry growing up. There was one of him at fifteen, and Sirius, realised, numbly, that it was a picture from Grimmauld Place, and Ron and Hermione waved from the frame as well as Harry.

"Is this -" he asked.

The red-haired woman - it could not be Lily, his mind refused to accept it, smiled and did not answer. "He is waiting for you, Sirius," she said.

And Sirius felt his heart breaking as, for the first time in fifteen years, he looked on the face of James Potter, who smiled and, once more, embraced him like a brother.

"James," he murmured, his voice hoarse. 

James drew back and smiled. "I've missed you, Padfoot."

Sirius cast around with his eyes. "What - what is this place?"

"This is the afterlife," James answered. 

A fist of ice clenched around Sirius's heart. "Am I - dead?"

"Not unless you choose to be so," James replied. "Sit down."

Sirius sat. "So -"

"You have a choice to make, Sirius," Lily told him, taking a seat beside James.

"A - choice?"

"The place you were in is falling apart," James said. 

"The Void-bubble?"

"Yes," James replied. "It was inevitable that as soon as something from the outside was drawn in - in this case, magic - it would start to collapse. Only nothingness can exist in that place, and when there is not nothing, it will fail."

"So I fell through. To the afterlife," Sirius said.

"Yes," Lily answered. "The walls are splintering and cracking."

"What will happen when they break open altogether?" Sirius asked.

"The Void will pour in and consume it," James replied. "The souls there will be lost. The wights…"

Sirius buried his face in his hands. "Sweet Merlin."

Lily put her hand on his knee. "They will welcome it, Sirius," she told him gently. "It will give them death."

"But they don't deserve to die," Sirius said hoarsely.

"They are ready to die," James said, "and death isn't so bad, really."

Sirius looked up. "But James," he said, "_Regina._"

"You want to save her," Lily said.

Sirius nodded. "I love her. You know that."

"I do know," Lily answered. "But her battle is hers to fight." She sighed. "Regina is powerful, Sirius, but she could never have broken open the veil for all of you. She could transport herself out, but that is all."

"She would not leave them," Sirius said desperately. "You know she would not."

Lily smiled sadly. "I know, Sirius. I know. But the choice is hers and hers alone to make."

"I have to go back to her!"

James shook his head. "It is not possible, Padfoot."

"Why not?"

"There is no way out of death for the dead," Lily told him, "though there is one for the living."

Sirius knew what she was going to say before she said it, and it almost killed him to hear it.

"It needs blood, and a man's soul," Lily said. "A great deal of each."

_____________

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	27. A Certain Amount Of Unescorted Roaming

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Keep those reviews coming, folks!

This chapter is a little fluffy, but we've had quite a lot of angst in the last few chapters, so here's to lightening the tone a little! And Remus has such a hard life… he deserves a little fluff once in a while!

And to Earendil - of course you can translate this story into Spanish! Just make sure my name stays with it. Thanks to Cerulane for her work on translating _The Space Between The Stars_ into French - the more languages, the merrier!

___________

The next few days passed rather fast for Remus. Dumbledore had forbidden him to go back to the Department of Mysteries, on the proviso that it would not only stir up trouble in the Ministry - something they really didn't need - and that Aemilia needed as much help as she could get with the lawsuit.

And so, on August the 8th, Remus found himself sitting across from Aemilia in the library, looking up the obscure _Stasis_ charm in _A Compendium Of Charms That Will Really Hack Your Enemies Off._

"Anything in there, Remus?" Aemilia asked.

Remus shut the book with a sigh. "Nothing that will help," he replied. His face brightened. "But if you want to know how to make your enemies dance in a conga line for three days, I'm your man!"

Aemilia managed a weak grin. "Maybe you should teach it to Harry," she suggested. "He can use it on You-Know-Who."

"I can see it now," Remus said with a smile on his face. "Voldemort, Lucius Malfoy and Peter Pettigrew, the Conga Line of Doom."

"With Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange playing _Tequila_ on a harpsichord," Aemilia added.

"And Avery and Nott and Rookwood wearing pineapples on their heads and casting _Charta Aetherius_ charms every ten minutes."

Aemilia looked at him quizzically. "_Charta Aetherius?_"

"Creates paper umbrellas," Remus answered absently.

"Pineapples?"

"For the atmosphere."

Aemilia smiled. "You'll never stop being a Marauder, will you?"

"Not thinking so," Remus answered. "'Tis in my blood." His eyes grew suddenly mischievous. "Though I don't think I would have imagined the Lestranges playing _Tequila_ on a harpsichord."

"Can they wear pineapples on their heads too?"

Remus thought for a moment. "No. They can have mangoes for earrings, though. And Rodolphus can have an olive on a cocktail stick for a nose ring."

"Who owns the nightclub?"

"Rosier, of course," Remus replied. "We caught him wearing pink pyjamas when we were at school, and only men who wear pink can own nightclubs."

"What's the nightclub called?"

"_The Fluffy Cat,_" Remus answered. "All arch villains have to have a fluffy cat."

As he and Aemilia laughed insanely, Remus knew a moment of sudden seriousness. _Should I be joking about stuff like this?_ he thought.

It was like Dumbledore answered in his mind. _When we can laugh at things, Remus, they become infinitely less invincible._

He smiled. _Voldemort is just another boggart._

*

"So, how is your progress?" Dumbledore asked, as they ate dinner that night.

Aemilia sighed. "We're getting there," she said, "but the real issue is a lack of precedent."

"It is a bit hard to prove that someone who is, really, legally dead, is not dead," Remus added through a mouthful of rhubarb pie. 

"Not to mention that his name still hasn't been cleared," Aemilia said. "It's a very tricky business, but it is doable."

Dumbledore smiled. "Good."

Aemilia looked determined. "Well, if I can't find a precedent, I'll argue for the creation of a new one. And if I can't find one, it means my father probably can't find one either, which is nice. It's still a level playing field, no matter which way you twist it… the only problem is, the other side aren't defending the rights of a legally dead alleged mass murderer."

"But your father is defending Muggles, Aemilia," Dumbledore said, "and for once, that prejudice may work in our favour."

Remus snorted. "I never thought I'd be glad that bigotry exists."

"Neither did I, Remus," Dumbledore replied, "but it goes to show that life is full of unexpected things."

A white owl swooped in and dropped a letter in front of Aemilia before perching on the back of a chair. "Guess it's not a Ministry owl, then," Aemilia commented. "Very good aim."

"No, it's not a Ministry owl," Remus told her, reaching out to stroke the bird's snowy feathers. "It's Hedwig."

Aemilia shot him a quizzical look. "Hedwig?"

"Harry's owl," Remus answered.

"Oh!" Aemilia looked surprised. "I wonder why he's writing to me?"

Remus smiled. "Open the letter and you just might find out."

Aemilia poked her tongue out at him before slitting the letter open with her thumb. Remus leaned over and read it over her shoulder.

__

Dear Aemilia,

I'm writing, firstly, to say thankyou very much for your birthday present. I read it all that night after everyone left, and now I'm going back and reading it a bit more slowly. I can't tell you how much it means that you gave it to me. It's like having a little piece of my mum here with me. I've learned all sorts of things about her and my dad and his mates that I never would have known otherwise… like Sirius playing the violin. I never knew that. Oh, and can you ask Professor Lupin - that's right, I'm supposed to call him Remus now, aren't I? - if I can borrow the idea for that prank he and my dad pulled where they locked Snape inside a suit of armour and made him dance the salsa for a day? My mum sounded pretty disapproving in her diary but I think it sounds great. I'd love to try it on Malfoy. He deserves it, the little git. 

The other reason I'm writing is to do with my aunt and uncle. This isn't exactly what my uncle said - I don't think you want to know what he really_ said - but he wants to know what time the Portkey will be on August the 13th and how long they'll have to stay at Hogwarts. _

By the way, where will the court case be? The Ministry?

Thanks heaps,

Harry

"That's really sweet of him," Aemilia said, folding up the letter.

"I'm glad to see he's got a proper sense of humour," Remus commented, grinning.

Aemilia poked him in the side. "You're encouraging him in wicked ways, Remus."

"Not so very wicked," Remus answered. "Where's the harm in a salsa-dancing suit of armour?"

Aemilia rolled her eyes and turned to Dumbledore. "Harry wants to know what time the Portkey will be and how long the Dursleys will have to stay at Hogwarts, as well as where the court case will be."

"The Portkey will be at about one o'clock in the afternoon, but don't tell him that, in case the letter gets intercepted," Dumbledore replied. "I'll be sending people along to fetch them."

"Who?" Aemilia asked.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Alastor Moody and Severus Snape."

"Not trying to intimidate them, are you, Professor?" Remus asked innocently.

"Oh, of course not," Dumbledore replied, a wry smile curving his lips. "If my choices are a little… intimidating… well, it's all a matter of chance, isn't it?"

"Of course," Remus replied, grinning.

"The Dursleys will have to stay a few days at Hogwarts," Dumbledore told Aemilia. "It is a necessary precaution - not only because we really have no idea how long the court case will last, but because of the wards… I will have to reset the wards around the Dursley house before they can go back, or it will be entirely unsafe, despite the Prosapiae Charm."

"Is that the mother's blood charm?"

"Yes."

"And where will the case be held?"

"At the Ministry," Dumbledore replied, sighing. "It isn't entirely secure, but it is the only place where the entire Wizengamot are permitted to sit - and this is a case that most definitely requires them all."

Remus wasn't listening in much depth to the conversation between Dumbledore and Aemilia. "I wonder if I should teach Harry the _Charta Aetherius_ charm," he mused aloud.

"The paper umbrella charm?" Dumbledore asked, eyes twinkling. "Why ever would you want to teach him that?"

Remus grinned. "Never know when it might come in handy!"

____________

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If the fluff and silliness of this chapter was not your thing, fear not! Next chapter we have gratuitous angst from Severus, who is confused… very confused…


	28. Burned In The Potter's Oven

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Keep those reviews coming! 

This chapter, Severus is angsty. Very angsty. And Helena gets a bit annoyed at his angstiness. 

And… drum roll… it is revealed who Regina really loves. Will it be Severus? Or will it be Sirius?

__________

Severus opened his eyes.

He was in the middle of the glade. _Did I dream it all?_ he thought. _Am I back to the first night, that night I spent here?_

"No, Severus, you are not."

Severus sat up and realised that he was not wearing his robes. "Wh - what happened?"

Helena sat down beside him. "Midsummer happened, Severus."

"Last night?" His grip on reality seemed a little more than shaky.

"More than a week ago now."

Severus shot to his feet. "More than a week? What's the date?"

"August the 8th."

"Sweet mother of Merlin, Helena, we have to get back to the school!"

Helena smiled. "I know, Severus, but you will be in no condition to Apparate for a little while."

Severus located his black robes and threw them on over his shoulders. "Then we'll Floo!"

"There is no fireplace."

"Then we'll walk to the village," Severus told her, "and Floo from there."

He half-expected her to find another excuse, but she merely looked at him for a second before nodding. "All right," she said softly. "Allow me first to set my affairs in order here."

As she walked away, Severus realised she was wearing white. The white of the High Priestess.

And the memory of Midsummer flooded back into his mind.

*

He buried his head in his hands. _Oh Regina,_ he thought desperately, _what have I done? What have I done?_

He remembered… the singing. Helena's vicious challenge to Diana - "_Come then and meet me in the Land Upon the Waves, and we shall harvest the apples that are under the sea._"

He should have realised then, what the integral part of Midsummer was. He groaned, feeling wretched and stupid. _Regina, Regina, Regina._

"_I am Telae Domus of the blood, dark battle host, I am the people of free companions._" Free companions… how could he have failed to understand?

__

Regina was no man's free companion, some part of him thought stoutly. _She was pure and virginal._

"I am the torc of gold, brighter than the sun, I am the hero's light, the flame of courage on the brow, I am fír flámethon, lady's truth."

"Regina," he moaned. "Oh Regina, I'm sorry."

__

"Through me, darkness yields to light, sorrow to joy."

His sorrow and his joy both. The darkness and the light. Severus and Regina, opposite yet the same. 

__

"I am a breaker threatening doom, rhe boar-champion, ruthless and red, I am the tomb of your hope."

Opposite yet the same.

Betrayed.

__

"I am the daughter of Arachne, lady of weavers, I am Helena, High Priestess!"

He was weeping now. "What have I done? Oh Regina, what have I done?"

All these years he had stayed away from women. It had not been hard - what woman would be interested in Severus Snape, the resident greasy git of Hogwarts? The ones that were willing to see through the façade he pushed away. No woman could compare to Regina.

And now, sixteen years after she had been dead, but only a few hours after he had seen her, preparing the way so she could come home, he had betrayed her.

__

Oh lady, lady, lady.

*

"Severus."

__

Regina, he thought numbly, _I'm so sorry._

"Severus."

__

Oh lady, lady, lady.

"Severus."

__

Three times is magic.

"Why?" he asked. The only question he could ask.

Helena knelt beside him. "Is it such a crime?"

"Sixteen years!" he moaned. "Oh Regina, sixteen years!"

"You waited for her?" Helena asked.

Eyes without sensation, Severus nodded. "Regina," he whispered, his voice cracking. "Oh, my Regina."

Helena put her hand on his knee. "Severus -"

"Don't touch me!" he said sharply, pulling away. "Please - don't."

He heard Helena sigh beside him. "Severus, what do you think she would think of you?"

"I betrayed her." The realisation began to sink, in all its terrifying magnitude, into his soul. "I said I loved her. Only her. I betrayed that."

"Would Regina hold you to standards she herself did not uphold?"

Severus's head snapped up. "_What?_"

There was a distinct sadness in Helena's grey eyes. "Have you thought, Severus," she whispered, "all these years… that she died -"

"Virginal? Yes," he snapped.

He could see Helena struggling with herself. "She didn't, Severus."

Pain, the agonising torture of despair and disloyalty, washed over his body like a wave. "Who?"

"I am sorry I have to tell you this, Severus."

"Who, damn it?"

Helena bowed her head. "Sirius Black."

*

Severus crushed his head to his knees. _You forget who you are, Severus,_ a little voice in his mind jeered. _The good guy always gets the girl, remember?_

Why, Regina? his mind screamed. _Why - him? What did he have that I did not?_

He was the good guy. He was the brave Gryffindor. You - you were the slimy, slippery, treacherous Slytherin. The bad guy.

"There was a child," Helena told him quietly, "a baby, when she -"

An animal howl of anguish escaped him. His crystal prison shattered around him into a million shards, each sharp, each a piercing pain to the soul.

In his mind's eye, he could see Sirius laughing at him, his short, sharp laugh that sounded like a dog's bark. _Even in death I have the girl!_ Playing his violin now, that inexorable force, that inestimable beauty that no girl in the school had seemed able to resist.

Even Regina. 

Tears began to fall from his eyes and he sobbed gut-wrenchingly into his knees. "Regina," he moaned. "Regina, why?"

Helena put her hand on his knee again, and this time he did not push her away. "For the same reason as you and I, Severus. Desperate loneliness, and -"

"She needn't have been lonely!" Severus whispered. "She had me!"

"Let me finish, Severus," Helena said gently. "Desperate loneliness was a part of it, yes, but there was more." She took his chin in her fingers and forced him to look at her. Her grey eyes pierced his brown ones like a burning arrow to his heart. "Love, Severus. The most inexorable of all forces."

__

No, Severus thought, stunned. _It is not true._

"It is, Severus," Helena said quietly. 

He felt absolutely numb, deadened to all feeling. _The bad guy never gets the girl._

____________

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	29. The Marble Image Of Happiness

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Keep the reviews coming! Yay for reviews!

Here we have Installment #2 of the Severus-angst fest, with cameos made by some Weasleys. Enjoy!

_____________

It was some time before Severus managed to rouse himself from his torpor. _You have a duty to do, Severus,_ he scolded himself, _and you will damn well do it. You can wallow in your own pathetic grief later._

"Are you ready?" Helena asked him quietly.

"Yes," he answered, not looking at her. He could not bring himself to look at her.

"I gathered your possessions - not that you brought many," Helena told him.

"Thankyou," he said brusquely, taking the bundle from her hands rather more roughly than he needed.

"You're welcome."

"Have you sorted out all the things you need to sort out?"

"Yes. Diana will act in my name while I am gone."

"Good. Do you know the way to Hogsmeade?"

For the first time, he saw a priestess of Arachne look taken aback. "Severus -"

"It's Professor Snape to you," he said sharply.

"- don't think I'm going to let you Apparate!" Helena's face was shocked. 

"I'd like to see you stop me!"

"You'll splinch yourself!"

"No I will not!" Severus growled. "Do you know the way to Hogsmeade, or do I have to show you?"

She lowered her head. "I know the way."

"Good," Severus said sharply, and Disapparated.

*

He did not think he would ever let Helena know how close she had been to being right. He had almost splinched himself, and only his sheer anger and determination to prove her wrong had let him hold himself together.

He stood under the awning of the Three Broomsticks. It was market day in Hogsmeade, by the looks of it, and all the local shopkeepers were out in full force - as well as shopkeepers that were not local.

Fred or George Weasley - he could not tell which one - waved at him from a brightly coloured stall selling what he knew were joke products. Ginny Weasley was beside him - clearly his sales assistant for the day. "Hi, Professor Snape!"

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose with his left hand. This was not turning out to be a good day.

A quiet pop! beside him announced the arrival of Helena. He hated to think what whichever of the Weasley twins it was - he assumed the other was still in Diagon Alley - would have to say to that.

"My, my, my, Professor Snape!" The Weasley twin was in front of him now, leaving Ginny to tend the stall. "You sly old dog! Seeing a woman on the side and not telling us!"

"Fifteen points from Gryffindor, Weasley," Severus's snapped automatically, and instantly regretted it. 

The Weasley twin waggled his finger in Severus's face. "I don't think you can do that to me any more, Professor!" He stuck his hand out to Helena. "Hello, Professor Snape's girlfriend. I'm George Weasley, his favourite student, until I left school."

Helena smiled at him and took his hand. "I am Helena Seraphim," she answered.

"And _not_ my girlfriend," Severus muttered. _No,_ a snide little voice said in his mind. _Not your girlfriend. Just the only woman you've slept with for almost two decades._

George had a glint of mischief in his eye that Severus dreaded. "So, Miss Seraphim -"

"Please call me Helena," Helena interrupted.

George beamed. "Familiarity is always best, particularly if you'll be part of the dear old Snape family tree any time soon. Helena, then. What is it that you see in ol' Sev here?"

"_Sev?!_" Severus exploded.

George tipped Helena a massive wink. "He's an old softy underneath that crotchety exterior," he said. 

Helena smiled. "I'll keep it in mind."

"I hear he's a great fan of Celestina Warbeck."

"I know what to get him as a birthday present, then."

"WEASLEY!"

George looked at him innocently. "Yes, Professor?"

"Get out of my sight before I strangle you with my bare hands!"

"Remember - it's all a façade!" George whispered to Helena, then he Apparated back to his stall.

Severus opened the door of the Three Broomsticks. "Get inside," he ordered Helena shortly. 

__

I am going to tear George Weasley into pieces with my bare hands, he thought vehemently as he made his way towards the fireplace, Helena behind him.

Madam Rosmerta came hurrying up to him. "Flooing to Hogwarts, then, Professor Snape?"

"Yes," he told her shortly, "and so is Miss Seraphim." He shoved eleven Sickles roughly into her hands.

Madam Rosmerta beamed. "So you've found yourself a lady at last, Professor! I'm so glad -"

Severus cut her off by seizing a pinch of Floo powder from the jar she held in her hands and tossing it into the fire. "My office at Hogwarts!" he snapped, then stepped into the flames.

__

This is really not a good day, he thought.

*

His office was comfortingly familiar as he stepped out the flames. Normally, he hated it - contrary to popular belief, slimy things in jars were not his preferred form of decoration, nor a dungeon his favoured habitation. But it was a reminder of his life, of the austere life he had been leading and would still be leading, if not for -

Helena stepped out of the fire behind him. 

"Go," he ordered her, his back to her.

"Go where?"

"Anywhere. Away from here."

"Why?"

Now he did turn to face her. "Because I cannot stand the sight of you!"

She raised her eyebrows. "That's pleasant."

He smacked his hand down on his desk with such force that his neatly stacked piles of parchment jumped and scattered themselves. "For sixteen years I stayed away from women. Stayed away for her." He was shaking with fury. "And then, you had to come along with your bloody narcotics and drug me up and make me break that promise I made to myself. You destroyed me."

"I don't believe I forced the potion down your throat, Severus," Helena said sharply.

"It's Professor Snape to you," he snarled.

"Why?"

The question threw him. "Why what?"

"Why keep such a stupid vow for sixteen years?" Helena too was shaking, shaking with some strong emotion that he had not seen in her before. Before, she had been the epitome of serenity. Now, her eyes were flashing with passion. "Do you think Regina would have held you to it?"

"I loved her!" _Regina who bore another man's child,_ the snide little voice whispered in his mind.

Helena's grey eyes bore into his and he had the unnerving sensation she could see into his soul. "If you think she would have held you to it," she said slowly, "you never knew her at all."

And with that, she stepped out of his office and slammed the door, leaving Severus, shaken, alone again.

___________

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	30. A Canvas Furnished By Nature

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Keep the reviews coming! Yay for reviews!

Well, we're back to the lighter side now, after that foray into angst… this is a Remus chapter. However, it is a Remus chapter in which something occurs that may or may not cause gratuitous angst later on…

Remember, I have other fics out there that like reviews too… especially _Cheese_!

_____________

"This lawsuit is coming up far too quickly," Aemilia grumbled.

Remus looked up. "It's only the twelfth, Aemilia."

She snorted. "Gives me a grand total of two days."

"You know you're ready," he told her gently. "You always are."

She sighed. "Yes, I know I'm ready," she said. "It's just… well, I guess I'm a bit paranoid, you know."

"Because of your father?"

She nodded. "I can just see myself making an absolute fool of myself."

"I can't."

She managed a weak grin. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Remus."

The door to the library swung open and Severus came in. He was scowling fiercely. "Don't stop your work on my account," he growled at Remus and Aemilia, before going into the Restricted Section, pulling out a book, then leaving again.

Aemilia stared after him. "He's testier than normal."

"It's like… something happened to him," Remus said. "And he's bottling it up inside."

Aemilia looked at him. "You bottle up your emotions all the time, Remus," she told him, smiling, "and you don't turn into Witch Weekly's Bad-tempered Bastard of the Century."

"Do they really have that award?"

"If they don't, they should. It would confer honour on the teaching staff at Hogwarts."

"I always thought Severus was the country fair type, myself," Remus mused aloud, a mischievous glint in his eye. "You know, first prize for Best Carrot Cake goes to Betsy Patterson, first prize for Best Slimy Thing In Jar goes to Severus Snape."

Aemilia giggled. "He could bring a whole new era into interior decorating."

"Instead of distressing furniture, people will be Snaping it," Remus said, grinning. "Now, to successfully Snape this chair, you will need to explode your cauldron on it thirteen times, then fling twelve tiger's livers and a random selection of other disgusting potion ingredients at it and leave it for three days before cleaning."

Aemilia was laughing so hard now she was almost falling off her chair. "Then finish off the look with some tastefully placed slimy things in jars," she wheezed.

Neither of them could talk any more for laughing.

"You know," Remus said thoughtfully when they had both calmed down, "whenever I sit down to help you with the lawsuit, I always just end up making you laugh."

"Be off with you then," Aemilia ordered him imperiously, but she was smiling.

Remus put on a mock pout. "Who am I going to talk to then? I don't see that Seraphim woman being anywhere near as susceptible to my jokes as you are."

Aemilia wrinkled her nose. "I don't like her."

"I do," Remus said, "but she is a bit serious."

"So are you, when you're not planning Snape's career as an interior decorator, or You-Know-Who's new way to spend his free time as a conga-line dancer."

"My point exactly. She does not seem like the type to indulge in planning Snape's career as an interior decorator, or Voldemort's new way to spend his free time as a conga-line dancer. Anyway, I thought you didn't like her."

"She's hiding something."

Remus shot Aemilia a quizzical look. "How do you know?"

"Women's intuition," Aemilia replied promptly.

"Anything not circumstantial and completely subjective?"

"Women's intuition isn't a myth, Remus," Aemilia told him, flicking through some pages of an enormous codex and scribbling something down on a piece of parchment. "She's got a dirty little secret, and I can sense it."

"What type of dirty little secret?"

Aemilia shot him a look. "One that's dirty, and little."

"I thought women's intuition wasn't a myth."

She smiled and punched him playfully. "You, Remus Lupin," she told him, "are incorrigible."

He pretended to tip his hat, even though he wasn't wearing one. "Thank you, Miss Aemilia."

"You're quite welcome." Aemilia flicked a few more pages and scribbled some more things down. "Now go away, so I can work."

"Fine," Remus said, poking her playfully. He made to leave, but turned back. "You have ink on your face."

"And you'd like to smear it over my whole face, isn't that so?" 

"Damn, you discovered my plan. Now look at me so I can get it off."

Remus sat back down again and took his wand out of his sleeve. Aemilia looked up at him. "Where is it?"

"On your face, stupid." He put the tip of his wand against her skin. "_Scourgify_!"

"Gah, Remus, that tickles!" Instinctively, she squirmed away from his wand, but he pulled her back.

"If you're not going to let me clean it off by magic," he told her calmly, "you'll have to let me do it the normal way."

He soaked the tip of his sleeve in Aemilia's glass of water and began to dab at the spot on her face. "You'll ruin your robes!" Aemilia protested, pulling her chair out of his reach.

"After the amount these robes have been through, I doubt a little ink will really hurt them," Remus answered. "Now _come here,_ damn it!"

He grabbed her arm and yanked her closer to him. She overbalanced, fell off her chair and landed face-first in his lap.

He sighed. "Aemilia," he said, "when I said 'come here' I didn't mean 'jump into my lap.'"

Aemilia sat up. "You did that on purpose."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"Aemilia, just let me clean your damn face!"

She poked her tongue out at him but pulled her chair up and sat down, letting him dab the ink away. "How did I get ink on my face anyway?"

"You tell me, you're the - don't do that!" 

"Don't do what?"

"Run your hands through your hair - now you have ink all over your scalp!"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I did!"

"Sooner!"

"Because I couldn't see that you had ink all over your hands!"

"Oh." Aemilia bit her lip. "Can you get it out?"

"Yes," Remus told her, "but I'll have to use magic. Pass me my wand."

Aemilia passed it. "You're not going to tickle me again, are you?"

"Not if I can help it," Remus replied, taking the wand. "_Scourgify_!"

"Remus, that tickles! Stop it! Re -"

Aemilia stopped suddenly. Remus felt himself freeze.

She was less than an inch away from his face, her skin flushed, her black hair coming out of its loose knot. Her breathing was shallow and quick.

__

She is beautiful, he thought, and then his instincts - so well trained by the wolf within - took charge. Cupping one hand behind her head, he pulled her to him.

_____________

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Next chapter is a Sirius interlude!


	31. Interlude: The Miracle Of A Single Flowe...

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

Yay for this chapter being a Sirius interlude!

_______________

"You have a lot of pictures of Harry," Sirius said lamely, trying to change the subject. He really didn't want to have to deal with this right now.

Lily smiled. "He is our son, after all."

Sirius smiled weakly. "Yes."

"We watch him, you know," James said, putting his arm around Lily. "Hardly a day goes by - if days can be said to go by here - where we do not watch him."

"How do you watch him?" Sirius asked curiously.

Lily got up and took a silver basin off a side cabinet. "With this."

"Is that a Pensieve?"

"No," James replied, "but it's similar. We can watch anything and anyone we choose here, you know. But most often, we watch Harry."

Lily pulled her wand from her sleeve and swirled the golden liquid inside the basin with it. "Harry Potter," she said to it clearly.

The surface of the liquid swam, before resolving into the face and features of Sirius's godson. It was early evening, by the looks of the light, and he was walking around a park. The place was deserted.

Lily sighed. "My poor boy. He's so lonely."

"You've seen how they treat him?" Sirius asked.

Lily nodded sadly. "I knew Petunia didn't like me, but she's let Vernon be downright cruel to him."

"He had a birthday party the other day, you know," James said.

Sirius looked up, surprised. "Really? Who gave it to him?"

"Remus and Aemilia," James replied. "Well, more Remus than Aemilia, though it was her idea. They invaded the Dursleys' place and had it in the backyard."

"Harry must have paid for that later."

Lily nodded. "Yes. But it was not as bad as it could have been."

"Thankyou for taking care of him," James said.

Sirius laughed bitterly. "I'm afraid I wasn't much of a godfather, Prongs. Twelve years in Azkaban and then three as a fugitive."

"But you loved him," Lily said gently, "as no-one had ever loved him before. That love you gave him was the most precious gift in the world."

Sirius looked sadly at his hands. "There were so many things I wanted to do for him that I couldn't," he whispered. "Simple things. Come and visit him at school when he ended up in the hospital wing. Take him shopping for school supplies. Watch him play Quidditch. Write indignant letters to his teachers bellyaching about how badly they treated him. Take him to have a quiet Butterbeer in the pub. Talk to him about girls." He looked up at Lily and James. "You know, he had his first girlfriend this year, and I found out about it through Snape? That almost killed me."

"If it's any consolation," Lily told him gently, "you didn't miss much. We watched."

James nodded enthusiastically. "She was a silly bint."

"_James!_" Lily scolded him, but Sirius didn't care.

For the first time in fifteen years, James Potter and Sirius Black laughed together.

*

But still, the time was bittersweet.

Sirius lost count of how many days he spent with Lily and James. Time ran strangely in the Otherworld. But never once did he eat or drink. That would be making himself a part of that world, and that was a choice he had not made yet.

That was his choice.

He had to choose between life and death.

A life… without Lily or James and quite possibly without Regina. A life where he was persecuted and largely hated, a prisoner in his own house.

A death… where he could remain with his friends. Remain with those who loved him. Watch Harry with Lily and James in their silver basin. And then, one day, they would all pass over too and join him

To live hated or to die loved. 

And yet, he knew what his choice was to be. Had always known.

__

I could leave them as easily as I could leave myself, he thought.

He took up the violin - an exact copy of one he had left at Lily and James's house before it was destroyed - and began to play.

This was a magic that was his and his alone. No-one, ever, in the wizarding world, had ever played the violin like Sirius Black. He knew its wood, its strings, his bow as well as he knew his own thoughts. He had never been a writer, or an artist. He was a musician, and the violin was his weapon, a tool that let him pour out his passion into the world.

And he knew the choice he had to make.

"I have to go back," he said.

____________

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Next chapter… Remus deals with the aftermath of his actions…


	32. Two Roads Diverged In A Wood

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

Sorry to keep you all in suspense after the dramatic conclusion to the last Remus chapter, but your suspense endeth now! How will Aemilia react? Moreover, how will Remus react?

________________

Remus pulled back almost instantly. His eyes were wide with shock.

"Ae - Aemilia," he stammered, "I'm so sorry."

"Why?"

Remus got up hurriedly, knocking over his chair in the process. "I'm so sorry," he repeated again.

"Remus!" she barked.

He stopped. "Wh - what?"

She stood and came over to him. "Why are you sorry?"

Remus ran shaking hands through his hair. His sleeve was still wet. "It's full moon tonight… the wolf is closer to the surface… instincts are stronger… I'm sorry."

Aemilia looked at him sharply. "So your instincts got the better of you."

He nodded shakily. "The wolf… he's testy because he knows he'll get let out soon - I'm sorry."

She laughed, but it was a humourless laugh. "Remus, what in bloody hell is wrong with acting by instinct?"

Remus barely heard her. "I'm so sorry, Aemilia. It won't happen again."

"What if I want it to happen again?" She was advancing on him now, a predatory look in her eye. _This one is good,_ the wolf snarled within him. _Good mate._

No! He forced the wolf back down.

"Aemilia - you don't understand… the wolf did it… full moon…"

She captured both of his hands, imprisoning them within her own. "Remus, stop babbling and LISTEN TO ME!"

He was silent. His eyes were wide and he was still shaking.

"I know perfectly well that it's the full moon tonight," she told him calmly. "I know what happens to you the closer it gets to the full moon. We've been through all this before, remember?"

Remus nodded, still shaking.

She smiled at him and he could see real tenderness in his eyes. "You're so controlled, Remus," she said gently. "You've got better emotional control than Snape, and that's really saying something."

"That's why I'm so sorry - the wolf -"

"Shut up," Aemilia told him evenly. "Remus, I know you have instincts." Her dark eyes crinkled like they always did when she smiled. "Try following them once in a while."

"But -"

"The wolf is a part of you," she said softly. "It is as much Remus as the control you have over your emotions. People may hate the wolf, but -" she broke off suddenly. "Do you remember what you told me the other night? About how we hadn't been friends for almost twenty years because my father is Cornelius Fudge?"

He nodded slowly. "Yes," he whispered hoarsely.

"It works both ways," she replied tenderly. "Remus, I didn't fall in love with you all those years ago because you were a wonderful boy who had the unfortunate defect of growing a lot of hair once a month." She released one of his hands and ran her long fingers down the right side of his face. "I fell in love with Remus Lupin, man and wolf wrapped into one."

"But you didn't know I was a werewolf," he answered, voice cracking. "And when I told you… you left me."

"That wasn't because you were a werewolf," Aemilia said, smiling gently. "It was because you kept a secret from me - and I was a fool, Remus. I know that. You deserved better than that. I was a little idiot and couldn't see past the fact you hadn't told me something. No matter that you were trying to protect me, no matter that you thought I would hate you if you did… and it must have taken an enormous amount of bravery to tell me in the end. And look how I repaid you."

"But -"

"Don't give me 'but', Remus," she told him. "I should have understood. You deserved better."

"But, Aemilia -"

"And now," she said, talking shamelessly over the top of him, "I find myself once more with Remus Lupin. There are no secrets this time - and even if there is, I don't think I really care. All that matters is that we have a second chance." Her dark eyes bore insistently into his. "Would you throw that away?"

"Aemilia, I -"

"Answer the damn question, Remus," she ordered him. "I've told you. I don't care about the wolf. I don't care if it was the wolf that made you kiss me before. The wolf is a part of you - and I love the whole of you, not just the human part." She took a deep breath. "There it is. I've bared my whole soul to you. Would you throw our second chance away?"

"I don't want to hurt you," he whispered hoarsely. "I can't let you throw yourself away. I'm not worth that."

She let go of his other hand, cupped his face in her hands. "Remus," she said gently, "you are worth it. You are worth suffering any pain, any hardship, any torment. I would be throwing myself away if I said I was happy to spend the rest of my life anywhere but away from you."

__

It is equally important to - at least sometimes - wear your heart on your sleeve, Dumbledore's voice seemed to whisper in his ears.

"Aemilia," he whispered, his voice cracked.

Her dark eyes were soft. "Will you throw our second chance away, Remus?"

He ran his left hand down the side of her face. _Three times is magic. _"No," he said softly, his face breaking into a smile. "No, I won't."

There were tears running down her face now. "Remus," she said through her tears. 

He could do nothing but say her name. "Oh, Aemilia."

And, for the second time that day, Remus Lupin kissed Aemilia Fudge, and this time, he did not pull away, and neither did she.

"AEMILIA FUDGE! WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?"

*

Remus and Aemilia jumped apart immediately with shock. _I feel like a schoolboy again,_ Remus thought dazedly, _about to get detention for snogging in the library._

He grinned, which was completely inappropriate to the situation. He and Aemilia had got detention for snogging - or 'public indecency,' as it was euphemistically called - in the library on no less than three occasions when they had been at school. _Caught by McGonagall every time,_ he thought almost wistfully.

But then he realised who had caught them this time, and his heart fell. He had a feeling that the consequences could be far, far worse than detention. 

"Hello, Father," Aemilia said evenly.

Cornelius Fudge advanced on her, irate. He was wearing his lime green bowler hat and his face was purple. He looked, Remus thought idly, a magical version of Vernon Dursley. "What," he hissed, "are you _doing?_"

Aemilia pointed her wand at the books and parchment on the table. "_Evanesco_," she said calmly, and they vanished - presumably, Remus supposed, to her rooms. She turned back to her father. "Preparing for the lawsuit," she said calmly. "What did you expect?"

"Don't you be smart with me, young lady! You _know_ what I saw!" Fudge roared. His eyes turned to Remus. "Who are you and what do you think you're doing?" he demanded.

Remus gave Fudge a look of far greater assurance than he actually felt. "My name is Remus Lupin," he replied, his voice - mercifully - steady, "and I believe I was kissing your daughter."

Fudge's eyes narrowed. "I've heard of you," he snarled. "You used to teach here - you're a werewolf!"

"Right on both counts," Remus replied, but Fudge wasn't listening. He had turned back to Aemilia.

"Aemilia, if you think for even one second I will let you associate with a _werewolf_ -"

"And if you think," Aemilia retorted, "for even one second that I will listen to a word you say, you can fly to Mars on a thestral."

Remus remembered her saying something similar to Vernon Dursley and hid his smile.

"I am your _father!_" Fudge roared.

"And I am thirty-six years old and perfectly capable of making my own decisions!"

"I can cut you off without a penny, you know!"

"I don't care!"

"You will care," Fudge hissed, "when you have no money. When you're penniless because no-one will employ you or your werewolf husband. When your children can barely afford to eat, let alone be educated." He shot a look at Remus. "Perhaps I should say puppies, not children."

Aemilia's dark eyes were flashing. "How dare you?" she grated. "How _dare_ you!?"

Remus held her back. "Aemilia," he whispered in her ear, "he's not worth it."

"I notice you have very little to say for yourself, werewolf," Fudge sneered.

"Maybe because I don't think you have the right to hear it," Remus replied.

If anything, Fudge's face turned even more purple. "Trying to set yourself up as superior to me," he hissed, "when you're nothing but - an animal!"

"You don't understand anything, do you, Father?" Aemilia said. She looked disgusted. "Absolutely nothing." Her hand found Remus's and he laced his fingers through hers. "This - animal - as you insist on calling him, is more human than you'll ever be." The pitch in her voice was rising. "He is tender, and loving, and he cares. He has so much love in his heart that I can't even begin to describe it. Whereas you -" she shot her father the most scathing look Remus had ever seen on her face, "- could not give a damn about anyone but yourself. All you care about is power."

Fudge looked slightly shell-shocked. "And so - this is your choice? You'd throw your lot in a werewolf? Choose him over your own family?"

Aemilia's eyes were hard. "I would."

Fudge turned away. "You are no daughter of mine. There is no place for you in my house or among my family. And you can clear out your desk at the Ministry, because there is no place for you there!"

"However," a voice came from the doorway, "there will always be a place for Aemilia at Hogwarts. And a place for Remus too."

It was Albus Dumbledore.

___________

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Next chapter… will it be another Remus chapter? Or will it be Severus? Will I tell you? No…


	33. Imposing Compatibility On The Incongruou...

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

This is a Severus chapter, and therefore involving much angst. Enjoy!

I'm going away for a couple of days, so I'm going to post two additional chapters. If you're sensible, you'll read one on Monday and one on Tuesday, but… are you sensible, eh?

To the reviewer that asked - Aemilia's name is pronounced Ay-meel-ee-ah. 

_______________

Severus wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand and tossed a pinch of powdered monkshood into the cauldron before stirring it with the tip of his wand.

__

I hate making this potion, he thought. _I really do._

Under normal circumstances, Severus enjoyed making potions. The need for exactitude and total concentration allowed him to clear his mind of… other things. Of his emotions. Of his fears. Of his troubling thoughts.

But this potion was the Wolfsbane potion and that meant, of course, that everything was different.

Severus sighed, thinking back to a silver bracelet with a green stone in it. It was sitting in his chambers now, hidden away in the back of a drawer where he didn't have to look at it. _Just because I said I respected the man,_ he thought, adding powdered silver to the potion, _didn't mean I liked him._

You're jealous of him, an insidious little voice said in his mind.

Severus knew it was true. He was jealous of Remus Lupin, and it seemed completely unreasonable.

It turned out that he, Severus, had not been the only one to communicate recently with Regina. Remus had spoken to her too, through the veil - confirming that she was with Sirius Black.

Severus resisted the urge to spit bitterly on the ground. Sirius Black.

Sirius Black seemed to be laughing at him out of every corner these days. Every mealtime, Sirius was echoed in Remus's face. Every part of Gryffindor Tower seemed to reek of him. The library too, where Aemilia Fudge was working on the lawsuit that contested Sirius's will. He had gone up to see Dumbledore yesterday and had found the headmaster listening to a box that played violin music.

And, most of all, in Helena.

He had not spoken to her since their last argument when she had told him that he had not known Regina at all, but he saw her every day, and each meeting seemed to be etched on the inside of his eyelids, to be replayed every time he closed his eyes. Helena Seraphim walked in his dreams - golden hair pouring like a waterfall down her back, clad in black and smiling, clad in white and weeping, grey eyes warm and opening, grey eyes cold and forbidding, the embrace of Midsummer in the glade, when he had broken his vows. 

When she had broken his heart by telling him one thing.

__

There was a child, he heard her voice echo in his head.

A child. The child of Sirius Black and Regina Lupin.

A travesty.

He wondered where that child would be now. If it were living or dead. If it were a daughter or a son. If it sat in his classes now and he taught it, not knowing what it was. If he wasted all his hatred on Harry Potter when there was a child far more worthy of it.

__

James Potter and Lily Evans deserved each other, he thought bitterly, _but Sirius Black did not deserve her. No-one could have ever deserved her. Not him, not me, not anyone._

He wondered, idly, what the child of Sirius Black and Regina Lupin would look like. _They were both beautiful people,_ he thought. _Black was beautiful. Even I will not deny that._

A child… Sirius's dark hair, Regina's grey eyes. Regina's quiet grace, but Sirius's fiery temper.

__

The damn child probably plays the violin, he thought bitterly.

The only time he had heard Sirius Black play the violin had been at their Seventh Year graduation, but it had stayed with him. James Potter and Lily Evans had made the obligatory speech that the Head Boy and Girl had to make, then an enormous smile had lit up James's face, and he had said, 'Now, for the first and only time, on the Hogwarts stage, Lily and I would like to present Gryffindor's resident muso, Mr. Sirius Black!'

Severus remembered sneering at the word 'muso' but the sneer had fallen away the second Sirius had touched the bow to the strings and begun to play. He had known Sirius played, of course - one could scarcely avoid knowing, considering how all the girls (including the Slytherins) talked non-stop about how attractive it was. But he had not been prepared to hear it, not by a long shot.

Listening to him play, Severus could not believe that this was the same boy that had almost got him killed the year before. Passion, emotion in its rawest form, seemed to pour off the strings as Sirius played. It left him strangely vulnerable - Severus had never really humanised Sirius before, but now he realised that he was human, excruciatingly so. No-one without deep feeling could play like that. On the dais, he could see tears pouring down Lily's face before James enfolded her in his arms and kissed her temple. 

It was, truly, nothing short of beautiful.

And it made Severus realise, painfully, that he had none of that beauty in his soul. He was all hard edges and corners, wrongness and sharp angles. He was a chemist and a spy.

Whereas Sirius Black was a musician and a hero.

And he could never, ever hope to compete with that, as he had been shown in the most horrid of ways.

A child. The child of Sirius Black and Regina Lupin. His enemy and his beloved.

Severus decanted some of the Wolfsbane potion in a goblet before covering the cauldron. It was the full moon tonight and Remus needed it.

As he left his dungeon, he thought he heard violin music.

Mocking him.

*

He left the smoking goblet on Remus's desk. Remus was inhabiting the quarters he had lived in while he was the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts during his tenure there, with Aemilia staying next door to him. Helena, he had heard from Dumbledore, had elected to stay in quarters closer to the Ravenclaw common room, her old house. 

__

Odd, isn't it, he thought wryly, _that the Ravenclaw common room is about as far away from the Slytherin one as is possible?_

He wasn't sure if Helena was trying to avoid him as much as he was trying to avoid her. _I wonder if it's called cowardice,_ he thought to himself. _In a Gryffindor, yes, it would be terrible cowardice. But to a Slytherin… it's self-preservation._

A Gryffindor girl had broken his heart once. With innocent song and an aura of serenity, she broke into his heart. With her death, she broke his heart. And even now, she broke it again, and again, and again, scraping his nerves raw as if someone were drawing a violin bow over them.

__

Never feel anything, and you can never be hurt, he thought.

"S-Severus?"

He stopped. The voice was so quiet that it might have been his imagination.

"Severus?"

"Yes?" he replied automatically.

Helena Seraphim stepped out of the darkness in front of him. He barely had time to register the silvery tear tracks on her face before she collapsed at his feet in a dead faint.

*

Severus shook her shoulder. "Helena?"

No movement.

"Helena?"

He felt her forehead. She was burning up.

"Sweet mother of Merlin," he muttered. "Fever."

Gingerly, he lifted her off the ground. Her head fell back almost immediately and he had to catch it quickly before she did any serious damage to her neck. Without really thinking about it, he made his way down the stairs to his dungeon quarters.

She was still unconscious as he laid her carefully on his bed, her golden hair lying around her pale face like a halo. Severus pulled out one of his small cauldrons and set it over a burner, boiling a pint of water before throwing in chamomile and mugwort. _Restorative teas,_ the snide little voice sneered at him. _How the mighty Potions master has fallen._

Shut up, he told it tersely, before transferring about half of the mixture to a tea cup. He hefted Helena's shoulders up and braced her upper body against his before pouring the tea down her throat.

She came to at once, spluttering. "Sweet Merlin, Severus," she gasped, "what was that?"

"A restorative tea," he told her curtly, pouring the other half of the mixture into the cup and forcing it into her hands. "Drink the rest of it."

Helena obeyed, unquestioning. She raised one hand to her head. "Wh-what happened?"

"You fainted at my feet," Severus answered shortly. "Care to tell me why - sweet mother of Merlin, woman, don't pass out again!"

Helena had suddenly gone white as a sheet. "I remember," she moaned. She turned her eyes on him, and he was almost frightened by their numbness. "The Arachniae, Severus. They're - they're - He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named -"

__

Sweet mother of Merlin, he thought. _The Dark Lord._

"He killed them," Helena whispered. "He killed them all."

_____________

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	34. Sanctions Called Truth And Holiness

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

This is a Remus chapter, and it is also the chapter for Monday. 

****

_____________

"What - what do you mean, Dumbledore?" Fudge blustered.

Dumbledore smiled. "Exactly what I said, Cornelius," he said calmly, crossing the room and coming to stand next to Remus and Aemilia. "Even if you throw your daughter out, she will always have a home here. And so will Remus."

Fudge pulled his lime-green bowler hat off his head and wiped his brow with a purple handkerchief before replacing it. "Not," he said curtly, "if I have anything to do with it."

"But you don't have anything to do with it," Dumbledore said, beaming. "You tried to take over the school once already, Cornelius, and I'm not fool enough to let you do it again."

"Stop me, then!" Fudge said. Remus thought he sounded like a petulant schoolboy.

"All right," Dumbledore agreed.

Fudge looked quizzically at Dumbledore. "What?"

"I said 'all right,'" Dumbledore replied. His eyes were twinkling over his half-moon spectacles. "Is your hearing going awry?"

"How exactly do you propose to stop me?" Fudge shot back.

"Well, I am the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot," Dumbledore answered. "Join the dots, Cornelius. But I would prefer not to be having this argument, truth be known. There is a greater foe that needs our attention, and this time I hope you will not disagree with me."

"That's got nothing to do with Aemilia taking up with a werewolf!"

"No, it has nothing to do with it at all," Dumbledore replied. "But I suspect that Aemilia is a grown woman quite capable of making her own decisions. Would that be right, Aemilia?"

Aemilia nodded fiercely. "Exactly so, Professor."

Fudge glared ferociously at his daughter. "I meant what I said, Aemilia," he hissed. "Take up with that werewolf, and I will cast you out."

Aemilia glared right back. "Get out," she grated, "before I hex you into tiny pieces."

With a last, furious glare at his daughter, Fudge left, magenta cloak swishing.

Dumbledore clapped his hands together. "Well, that's settled," he said quite cheerfully. "Sit down, Aemilia. I have a proposition for you."

*

It was pleasant, Remus reflected, to hold someone's hand. His fingers were still interlaced with Aemilia's as they sat down. It made him feel… wanted. Loved.

"Do you want me to leave, Professor?" he asked Dumbledore.

"Oh, no, Remus," Dumbledore replied. "What I am going to propose to Miss Fudge is something entirely known to you." He turned to Aemilia. "Have you heard, my dear, of the Order of the Phoenix?"

"Yes," Aemilia answered. "The anti-You-Know-Who legions from the first rising, yes? And you've started them up again now, right?"

"Yes," Dumbledore agreed.

Aemilia looked sideways at Remus. "You introduce yourself as a Lieutenant of the Order of the Phoenix sometimes, don't you?"

"I do," Remus confirmed.

"The Order of the Phoenix is the resistance to Voldemort, as you know," Dumbledore said smoothly. "Remus is a member, as are Severus and Minerva. Sirius Black when he was with it. All the people that were at dinner that night. And me," he added, almost as an afterthought.

Remus snorted. "He's the Commander, Aemilia," he told her.

"So I am," Dumbledore said. "Aemilia - would you like to join the Order?"

Aemilia looked slightly taken aback. "Me?"

"No, that person called Aemilia who's sitting behind you," Remus said snidely. She whacked his arm.

"Yes, you, Aemilia," Dumbledore replied, smiling.

"But -"

"Yes?"

"I don't know what I could… offer…" Aemilia's voice trailed off. "I mean… my father just fired me so I don't have a job any more, meaning I'm no use as a Ministry spy… and I don't have Auror training or anything…"

"You are a lawyer, Aemilia," Dumbledore said gently, "and we have none."

"What do you need a lawyer for?"

"Well, for one thing, it is definitely foreseeable that your father will stir up trouble for us, and we will have to defend ourselves." Dumbledore sighed. "Look at what happened last year. Harry Potter tried by the entire Wizengamot on a matter of underage magic. That is the kind of thing we need you for, Aemilia."

"But you defended Harry Potter last year!"

"I may not always be here, Aemilia," Dumbledore replied, "and in any case, my role for the Order is not as a lawyer and I confess I have little time to spend on legal matters."

"We need someone like you, Aemilia," Remus told her, squeezing her hand.

"And," Dumbledore said brightly, "you are already doing the Order's work in this lawsuit. We would have little hope if not for you, my dear."

Aemilia smiled slightly. "Well -"

"Not only that," Dumbledore went on, "but you are very intelligent and I know for a fact that you are excellent with defensive magic - one reason I was willing to give you the Defence Against the Dark Arts post if you wanted it. We have a great need of shrewd minds like yours."

"And I like you," Remus said, smiling at her. "That's got to count for something."

Aemilia smiled back. Remus felt his heart do a somersault. She was so beautiful… and she was his. 

"I think," Aemilia said slowly, "that I will join this Order of yours, Professor - on the proviso that I don't have to wrestle a troll or anything to be initiated."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Of course not, my dear. _Aparecium!_" A scroll appeared on the table in front of him and he unrolled it. It was a list of all the members of the Order of the Phoenix. Remus remembered signing it himself, almost twenty years ago. "All you need do is sign the scroll."

Aemilia took up a quill. "All right."

"I am bound to tell you, though," Dumbledore cautioned her, "that there are… consequences. Did you hear about what happened to Marietta Edgecombe last year?"

"Is that the girl with 'SNEAK' written across her face?" Aemilia asked.

"Yes," Dumbledore replied. "She came by that after signing a list like this and then going back on it. There is a similar charm on this scroll."

Aemilia looked deep into the headmaster's blue eyes. "I would never betray you, Professor," she said quietly, and taking up the quill, she signed the scroll.

Dumbledore smiled at her. "Welcome to the Order of the Phoenix, Corporal Fudge."

Aemilia beamed. "That sounds so… professional."

The doors to the library burst open. "Albus," Severus gasped, "you must come quickly. Helena - the Arachniae - the Dark Lord -"

"Sweet Merlin," Remus murmured. "He killed them, didn't he?"

Slowly, Severus nodded. "He did."

_____________

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	35. Degenerate In These Latter Days

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

This is a Severus chapter, and it is also the chapter for Tuesday.

___________ 

"Is she - all right?" Severus asked, hovering awkwardly over Dumbledore's shoulder as the headmaster examined Helena.

Dumbledore stood up and sighed. "Yes, I think so," he replied tiredly. "It's shock, I think, that's causing the fever. Remus, can you go and Floo Poppy?"

"Sorry, Professor," Remus said. He was halfway out the door. "It's getting dark and it's full moon and…"

"That's quite all right," Dumbledore said. "Go and take your potion."

"I'll go and Floo her," Aemilia offered. 

"Thankyou, Aemilia," Dumbledore said. "Use the fireplace in the Hospital Wing. We'll be right up."

Aemilia nodded and disappeared out the door.

"I shall go and look in Miss Seraphim's rooms," Dumbledore told Severus. "I would like to know how she knew about the destruction of Telae Domus. Can I ask you to carry her up to the Hospital Wing?"

__

Thank Merlin she's unconscious, Severus thought. "Certainly, Albus," he replied.

"Thankyou, Severus," Dumbledore said, and left.

Severus looked down on Helena. _She looks so helpless,_ he thought. 

She did look helpless. She had flung herself onto her side and was curled up around her left arm. Her golden hair was tangled. Her white robes against her creamy skin made her look like a porcelain doll. Fragile. Delicate. Breakable. 

He lifted her up gently. He knew she didn't weigh much but he was still surprised at how light she was. _She is almost not there,_ he thought.

__

She is the last one left.

Now that was a disturbing thought.

Severus shut his door behind them and began to make his way up the stone steps to the Hospital Wing. Memories of his time at Telae Domus were flitting back - not just memories of Helena, but of the other priestesses too. Diana, Aralinda, Marianne, Miriel, Ysylde, all the giggling novices, the serene grey-robed priestesses, the masters in their robes of black - all dead, all gone.

__

I guess Diana's worst dreams did come true, he thought. He remembered thinking, when she had handed over the title of High Priestess to Helena, that the woman with moon-pale hair was a coward. That she could not stomach facing the Dark Lord, and so passed the responsibility to someone else to face. To Helena.

And, ironically, Helena had been the only one that did not have to face him.

He knew, that the next time the Dark Lord called his Death Eaters together, he would have to hear about the destruction of Telae Domus. He might even have kept one of the priestesses alive, to tell the tale herself, before they tortured her to death. And he would have to watch, and pretend to enjoy it, while it killed him inside.

For an instant, his sight blurred, and he could almost see Diana writhing on the ground, victim of a dozen Cruciatus curses. Tortured to madness, like the Longbottoms, then killed. 

The Death Eater meetings made him sick, and yet he knew he had to keep going, had to keep pretending to be a loyal servant, so he was useful. Useful to the Order. So Harry Potter had a chance to defeat Lord Voldemort and drive him into black oblivion.

He did not feel the rush of hatred he usually felt at the thought of Harry Potter, and he knew why.

__

There is another child out there I hate far more, even though I do not know who they are, he thought fiercely. _Damn you, Sirius Black. Damn you to hell._

He pushed open the door to the Hospital Wing and went in. 

*

Poppy Pomfrey was already waiting for them when he got in, Aemilia at her side. 'Dear, dear," she tut-tutted as Severus laid Helena carefully down on the bed nearest the window. She felt Helena's forehead and immediately bustled off into another room, doubtlessly preparing some kind of poultice or fetching some kind of medicine.

Aemilia was staring very hard at Helena, brow furrowed, as if trying to figure something out. "Are you _quite_ all right, Fudge?" Severus snapped.

"Yes, yes," Aemilia replied, clearly too distracted to rise to the bait.

"Didn't your mother teach you it was rude to stare?"

Aemilia shot Severus a dirty look. "My family isn't my favourite topic at the moment, Severus," she said sharply. "I've just been disowned."

"I thought you already were."

Aemilia laughed bitterly. "No, last time it was an argument. This time, it was the whole, 'Aemilia, I'm cutting you off from my will, never set foot in my house again, you are not my daughter' spiel."

Severus raised his eyebrows. "I never picked your father as someone that petty. Surely he knows you have to find work _somewhere._"

"Oh, that wasn't the reason."

Severus raised his eyebrows even further. "What was, then?"

Aemilia blushed bright red. "Well -"

"You were snogging Lupin, weren't you?" Severus accused. "And he caught you."

"_Maybe,_" Aemilia shot back. "There are plenty of other reasons my father would have disowned me."

"Your father hates half-breeds. Umbridge poisoned his mind."

"That's true, but it doesn't mean - oh, all right, Snape, you're right," Aemilia snapped. "My father walked in on me and Remus snogging in the library. Satisfied?"

"Very."

They lapsed back into silence as Dumbledore came into the room. "It was a letter," he announced, handing it to Severus. Aemilia began reading it over his shoulder.

__

Helena -

I hope to Arachne you get this. The Death Eaters are here - they've just broken in to the First Circle. By the time this makes it to you everyone will be dead. It's only a matter of time till they get through and break down the doors that lead to the sanctum. It was so sudden - and the wights that protect us will never make it in time. Anyway - there are so many Death Eaters and so few of the seelie wights left. Farewell, Helena!

They wanted the Libri on Life and Death, but we burned them. They did get all of Regina's old books in the Gatehouse, but there were no great secrets in them. Diana immolated the Libri herself before they killed her. Our great secrets have gone up in flames - he will never get them now. If he finds the key to the gates of death, it will not be from us.

I charge you, Helena, to start again. You are the last one of the Arachniae left - do not let Arachne's noble wisdom die out! Go to the wights and beg protection - begin Telae Domus anew!

Arachne guide you and guard your thread, Helena.

Ysylde

"Oh dear god," Aemilia breathed. "That's terrible."

Severus cast desperate eyes on Dumbledore. "Albus - is there any way…"

Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "No, Severus," he said heavily. "The enchantments guarding Telae Domus were never strong, just very obscure. Their main protection were the wights, but if they were gone…"

"But it was Unplottable!" Severus exclaimed. "How could he have found it?"

Dumbledore sighed. "Lily Potter was not the only one who went to the Arachniae seeking knowledge of eldritch death magic."

And Severus remembered. "Sweet mother of Merlin," he murmured. "_Bellatrix._"

"She never made it far up, of course," Dumbledore said. "Not above the First Circle."

"I remember," Severus breathed. "She left - because it was useless. The Dark Lord ordered her to." _I had been terrified for Regina,_ he remembered. _I was glad when the Dark Lord pulled Bellatrix out. Bellatrix with the powers of wights… that is a terrifying notion._

Madam Pomfrey had come back in and was fussing over Helena. "Dear, dear," she muttered.

"She never did have the natural disposition for it," Dumbledore agreed. "Not like Lily - Aemilia?"

Aemilia had resumed her staring at Helena and had suddenly crossed the room, kneeling at the priestess's side.

"Fudge, what are you doing?" Severus snapped.

Aemilia didn't answer. Instead, she laid her left hand flat against Helena's stomach and muttered a word under her breath that Severus could not here. After a second, her hand glowed golden. She and Madam Pomfrey shared darkly significant looks.

"What?" Severus said shortly.

"I knew she was hiding something," Aemilia replied, "and now I know what it is." She looked sharply at Severus. "I don't think she knows it, but your little priestess, Snape, is pregnant."

______________

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	36. Interlude: The Spiralling Chains Of Know...

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews - and thankyou for all the reviews while I was away!

This chapter is a Sirius interlude, but fear not - there is more in the complex sagas of Remus and Severus coming in the next couple of days… and I promise you that the lawsuit will take place in the next ten or so days! Yay!

________________

Sirius held the violin in his hand when he told them. It gave him comfort, somehow. That familiar object, that magic that was undeniably _his…_ it was an extension of himself, and it affirmed him, who he was, the choices he made.

"I have to go back," he told Lily and James. "They need me. Harry needs me."

James smiled, a little wistfully. "I knew you would go back, Padfoot."

"It is not yet your time to die," Lily said. She radiated a little of that serenity that Regina possessed in cauldrons-full - Sirius supposed it was a remnant of the time she spent with the Arachniae. 

"But I won't pretend I won't miss you." Sirius could see the tears that were hiding just below the surface in James's eyes. He knew only too well that it took a lot to make James Potter cry, and that he was able to do it brought tears to his own eyes as well.

__

Love not wisely but too well, he almost heard someone whisper in his ear. Regina.

"I'll miss you too," Sirius told them, smiling through the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks. "I've missed you for fifteen years, and it never stopped hurting. But… I will be back. It might be some years, but… I'll be back. And we will never have to be apart again. I promise."

James choked and Sirius embraced his best friend. "You're the best friend a man could ever have, Prongs," he said, clapping his best friend on the back, "and I'll take care of your boy. I promise. Soon as I can, I'll get him out of that hell house he lives in and take him with me. Even if we have to live in Grimmauld Place."

"Before you leave, Sirius," Lily said quietly, "there is something you should know."

Sirius looked at her curiously. "What?"

"Regina."

"What about her? Is she safe?" Sirius asked suddenly, eyes bright. "Is she out of that horrible place yet?"

"No," Lily replied. "This goes right back. Before Arethusa pushed her through. Before we died."

"In her year at the temple?"

"Sirius," James said seriously, "you slept with the girl."

Even now, the bluntness of James Potter could make Sirius turn bright red. "Yeah," he mumbled. "I did. A couple of times."

"Well," Lily said carefully, "that bore fruit."

Sirius was nonplussed. "What?"

"She gave birth," Lily told him gently, "in the same year that we had Harry."

"I had - a child?" Sirius asked. He was completely blown away.

"We didn't know," James said. "Not until we died and could see everything. It was after Lily had left the temple."

"I didn't even know she was pregnant," Lily added.

"What happened to the child?" Sirius asked.

"We don't know," James answered. "We don't even know if it was a boy or a girl. When Arethusa took Regina from the temple, the child went with her. Only one of them could tell you were it is now."

"Why didn't Regina tell me?" Sirius whispered hoarsely, more to himself. "We had a child - and she never told me!"

Lily laid one of her hands over his comfortingly. "You know Regina," she told him gently. "She always had her reasons, even if they weren't immediately obvious."

Sirius looked up. Tears were now spilling unashamedly down his cheeks. "I'll find the child," he said, voice cracking. "I'll find it if it takes the rest of my life."

"Are you ready to go home?" Lily asked him softly.

Slowly, Sirius nodded. "Yes," he answered. 

_____________

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	37. As Close As Hands And Feet

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

This is a Remus chapter… with some Severus on the side… and it's one of my favourites, so I hope you like it!

________________

The wolf shuddered, whined once, and then curled up in front of the fire.

__

Warm, it thought. _Good._

His mate was warm also, though she was not here. He remembered her well - he had liked her, had told the human so in the library. Of course, the human had forced him down, like he always did, but the wolf did not forget. The wolf never forgot.

He felt sleepy and docile. The potion the human drank always made him feel like that. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, was a craving for blood, for meat, for human flesh, but it was hidden, safely buried away.

But what the wolf really wanted was some companionship.

He knew his mate could not join him. She had no wolf inside her like the human did, and so could not curl up beside the fire with him this night when the moon shone bright. But he had memories of other companions, his pack… a stag with many-tined antlers, a big black dog, and a rat…

The wolf growled. _The rat is no longer pack. No longer brother._

The human hated the rat. The wolf knew this with black certainty. The human had cast the rat out of his heart and stamped on his memory. _Bad,_ the wolf thought. _Traitor to the blood covenant._

He shuddered. He had the rat's blood in him, just like he had the dog's and the stag's. It had been a covenant, the sacred blood covenant, the promise that made them, an assorted motley crew of animals, _pack._

But the rat had broken that covenant, had broken the blood bond, even though the rat had in him the blood of the wolf and the dog and the stag.

__

He went against his own nature, some deeper, rational part of the wolf thought. _He is an unnatural being now._

But the human part of him wondered if the rat still flinched at the sight of silver, still shivered at the full moon. All four of them did, once the blood covenant had been taken. The blood of the wolf made them share his weaknesses as well as his strengths, even to a tiny degree.

__

I cannot call back my blood, the wolf thought, _even if the rat is no longer pack._

He whined. He had not run with his pack as he once had for more than fifteen years.

__

The evil took the stag, he thought. _The rat helped them kill him._

He whined again. He missed the stag, missed him terribly. Missed how the stag would lift him on his antlers and throw him, in play - though it was sometimes in earnest, to stop him from hurting humans. _Prongs,_ the human whispered inside him.

But Prongs was gone. His packmate was gone forever.

The wolf rested his head on his front paws. Even now, it was hard for him to accept that the stag was not coming back, that they would never run and gambol and frolic together as they had so many years ago. _It is because of the rat,_ he growled within himself. _The rat broke the bonds of pack and now packmates are dead._

The dog, too. The evil that the rat followed had pushed the dog through into another place, and now that packmate was gone also.

__

Padfoot, the human whispered, _but he is not dead. _

The wolf whined again, but this time there was hope. The human believed that the dog would come back.

__

There are still two left in the pack, he thought, _even if we run apart on this night. Blood bonds will hold strong._

He thought, once more, of the rat, who had broken the blood bond. Who had refused all he was, and who now wore a silver hand. He wondered if it burned. He hoped it did.

__

My blood is still good for that, he thought vehemently. He willed that it should be so, that the silver would burn the rat because of the wolf's blood still in him.

__

The pack will have revenge on those who break the bonds of pack.

And the door opened.

*

The wolf yelped and backed away into a corner of the room. _Please,_ the human prayed within him, _let it not be Aemilia._

But it was not his mate. It was a man with long dark hair. He looked vaguely familiar to the wolf. _Friend?_ he thought, and padded up to him, sniffing his boot. 

"Get out of it," the man growled, and the wolf retreated. _Smells wrong,_ the wolf insisted. _The smell of enemy, of danger._

The man's lip curled. "I'm not a fool, Lupin," he snarled. "I wouldn't come within ten feet of a werewolf - even one doped up on Wolfsbane - without aconite."

The human understood this. The wolf did not, and did not really care. _Smell of danger,_ it thought, and retreated to the fire.

The man sat down in one of the chairs near the fire. The wolf shuffled away. The smell of danger was strong on him. 

"Do you understand me, Lupin?" the man snapped suddenly. 

The wolf just looked at the man, not comprehending.

The man sighed. "Do you understand what I am saying?" he barked. "This is ludicrous, but - one yip for yes, two yips for no, all right? Do you understand me?"

The wolf, at the human's prodding, yipped once.

__

He smells of danger! the wolf insisted.

__

He is not the enemy, the human replied. 

The man sighed again. "Good."

__

What is he doing here? the wolf demanded. _He is not pack!_

No, he is not pack, the human agreed. _I do not know what he does here. But he is not the enemy._

"I am in a very interesting position, Lupin," the man said. The wolf noted that he looked exhausted. There were black circles under his eyes and his robes hung limply off his frame. "A very interesting position indeed, and I find myself with no-one to turn to."

__

Why does he just sit? the wolf snarled. _Why does he not play? If he wants to become pack -_

He does not want to become pack, the human said forcefully. _Be careful with this one. He does not like us, but he loved our sister._

The wolf remembered the sister. She had not had a wolf inside her, but she had been gentle and calming, almost pack. The wolf had never met her, but he knew the human's memories of her, comforting the human after his transformations, wiping his sweaty brow, calming him with hands white like lilies. The sister was good. The sister was like pack.

The man fixed the wolf with a black stare. "Sixteen years I kept myself faithful to your sister, Lupin," he growled. "Sixteen bloody years. And then - the instant I find out that she might be coming back… then I go and knock some other woman up when I barely knew what I was doing."

__

That is interesting, the human mused. _Very interesting indeed._

He wanted our sister as his mate, the wolf observed. 

__

But he has a new mate now, a mate he does not want, the human said.

"My life is a bloody mountain of irony," the man observed. He tipped his head back and drank something, and the wolf's keen nose recognised the tart scent of alcohol. "Not only do I break my vow to myself, but I find out that your sister -" his voice cracked, "- your sister had a child, and I never knew."

The wolf snarled. _What?! _the human thought.

__

Our sister had a mate also, and a cub, the wolf remarked. _And we did not know._

"There's a child out there somewhere with Regina Lupin stamped all over its DNA," the man said, laughing bitterly. The wolf could tell he was drunk. "And Sirius Black."

The human seemed shocked.

__

It is not so bad, the wolf commented. _Our sister's mate was our packmate._

I did not want to find out like this, the human said.

The man laughed again. "And now, because I was bloody stupid, there'll soon be another child. This time with Severus Snape written all over it. The priestess's child."

Outside the window, the moon was setting.

*

Severus was gone when Remus awoke the next morning. His back was stiff - he had fallen asleep in an odd position by the fire - but he didn't care.

__

Sirius and Regina had a child, he thought in wonderment, _and I never knew. Sirius never told me. But then - maybe he didn't know either._

And Snape… Snape got the priestess pregnant.

Remus could barely stop the grin spreading over his face, much as he knew the situation was not funny. There was a bitter irony in it that was so black that it made him laugh.

But then he something occurred to him, and all thoughts of Snape's impending fatherhood were swept clear from his mind.

__

There is one person who would know what became of Sirius and Regina's child, he thought. _My mother._

______________

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	38. A Perfect English Autumnal Day

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

This is a Severus chapter. It's fairly introspective. Like the last chapter, it's one of my favourites.

For those that have asked for a little more info about me… I'm eighteen and I live near Sydney, Australia. And as to where I get my ideas from… I can only answer that I get them from my muse… because I don't know where they come from!

And there have been some excellent guesses as to who Sirius and Regina's child is… but I'm not saying anything!

_______________

Severus did not know why he had gone to Remus last night. His heart had been constricting painfully, and then Aemilia had spoken those words - _Your little priestess, Snape, is pregnant_ - and it had felt like it was going to burst in his chest. He had felt the colour drain from his face, felt Aemilia's accusatory stare as she looked at him and just _knew_, and then he had fled from the room.

To Remus.

He knew that there was a chance that the wolf might still be violent. He had studied the codices, of course, when he first began making the Wolfsbane Potion. But he didn't care.

__

He could have bitten me, Severus thought, _and I wouldn't have cared. It wouldn't have made any bloody difference._

All he had known was that he needed a confessor and that he couldn't face anyone right now.

So he confessed to a wolf, even though the wolf understood every word he said.

He wondered what Remus thought of him now, in the pale gold of the early morning. If he was laughing, or merely thinking, pondering.

__

How the mighty Potions master has fallen, the little voice jeered in his mind.

And he knew he had to do it. _I have a duty,_ he thought firmly, _and I will carry it out to the end of my days._

He pushed open the Hospital Wing doors.

*

Helena was asleep. Severus pulled up a chair and sat beside her bed, just looking at her.

Sleeping, Helena looked so unbelievably… innocent. Her golden hair spilled out on the white hospital pillow like a coronet, and her skin was very pale - paler than usual, Severus reminded himself. She was still suffering the after effects of shock.

__

I was right, he thought dazedly. _She does look like a porcelain doll._

He could see little of the serene priestess of Telae Domus in her now, and even less of the violently passionate woman he had argued with that first night back at Hogwarts. Certainly not the lover he remembered from his vague memory of Midsummer.

Instead, Severus saw a little girl. And that scared him, because - whether he liked it or not - that little girl was the mother of his child.

And then he realised he remembered her.

__

"What comes next?" Regina asked, stirring the cauldron with the tip of her wand.

Severus consulted the book. "Ah… two ounces of crushed Billywigs," he said, smiling at her. Enemies in daylight, friends in secret,_ he thought. It had an odd romance about it - even he, who had never been romantic, could see that._

"Could you start chopping the dried Flobberworms, please?" she told him as she measured out the Billywigs. "They will need to go in soon."

He pulled the chopping board towards him, still looking at the book. "You'll need to stir that in an anticlockwise - sweet mother of Merlin!" He clutched his bleeding hand to his chest.

Regina looked up, saw the dripping blood. "Show me," she commanded him, holding out her hand for his.

He shook his head. "No… it's okay."

"Stop being stubborn, Severus, show me." Her voice was lilting, calming, like trickling water on a day in new spring.

"No," he said firmly. "You need to finish the potion. I will go to Madam Pomfrey and be back soon."

"Severus -"

"Keep going," he told her. "I'll only be a second."

The flickering light caught the gold in her hair. "All right," she said softly. 

"Nine times anti-clockwise," he told her, and left the room.

Out in the corridor, he pulled up his sleeve with a gasp. His finger was still bleeding quite profusely, but he knew it was only a shallow cut. He'd done it on purpose, and he wasn't fool enough to slice off his own finger. 

And the pain was nothing compared to the pain of the Mark, burning black on his arm.

The sound of Regina's voice floated out into the corridor. She was singing over her cauldron. "From skies of blue you call me… run far from the light. From skies of blue you call me… kiss the night, kiss the night…"

What was someone like him doing - someone with the Mark burned black on his arm - consorting with someone like her? By all rights, he shouldn't even be within ten miles of her. She was so far above him that she was like a star, burning brightly but ever so far away in the sky. So pure, _seventeen year old Severus Snape thought, _so innocent.

__

"Are you - all right?"

Severus looked up. "What?" he said shortly, hastily pushing his sleeve back down.

The girl could hardly have been more than a first year. Golden hair spilled down her back, tied back with a blue ribbon. Ravenclaw, then. Her grey eyes were clear, innocent and questioning. "Are you all right?" she asked concernedly. "You looked like you were in some pain before."

He managed a weak smile. Under normal circumstances, he would have snarled at her, scared her away. But the burning of the Mark had sapped all his energy, and he had none left for cruelty. "Quite all right, thankyou."

"Are you sure?" Her eyes were wide, concerned. "I can get Madam Pomfrey -"

"No," Severus interrupted her, holding up a hand. "It was - momentary." He hid another wince as the Mark burned again. "Thankyou for asking."

"Miss Seraphim! Get back to your common room!"

Aemilia's voice. She and Lily Evans walked up. They were on prefect patrol, by the looks of it. Lily cast a quizzical eye on him. "What are you doing out so late, Severus?" she asked.

"None of your business, Evans," he retorted.

Lily quirked an eyebrow. "I think you'll find it is my business, Severus," she said, tapping the Head Girl badge on her robes pointedly.

Severus did not have the energy to argue. "If you must know, Miss Lupin and I are brewing a potion for extra credit. She's in there, if you want to ask her." He jabbed a finger at the dungeon door. 

Lily nodded. "Just see you get back before your curfew, then," she told him. He scowled at her, but was in too much pain to do any more.

Aemilia rounded on the girl. "But you, Miss Seraphim, are out well _after your curfew. Back to the common room with you. Come on!"_

Severus watched as Lily and Aemilia led the little girl away. Just before they passed out of sight altogether at the end of the corridor, the little girl looked back at him. 

"Be safe," he saw her mouth, and then she was gone.

He had never paid much attention to the little girl after that, never bothered to learn her name. He saw her every now and then, of course - passing other students in the corridor was something that could scarcely be avoided, even if you were a Slytherin. He never gave her much thought - he was too wrapped up in his obsession with Regina Lupin to give much consequence to a first year, even if she had showed him kindness.

But the memory had stayed with him. The memory of a time when someone had looked at him and shown him compassion, even though he was what was he was. What he had been, and what he still pretended to be. A Death Eater. 

Now, he looked down on that little girl once again. She had grown up, and she had grown up beautiful, but when she slept she was still that same little girl. That little girl that had shown Severus Snape kindness.

A woman that now carried his child.

Her eyes opened, and they were still grey and clear, just like they had been that night when she had first spoken to him.

"Hello, Helena," he said softly.

_______________

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	39. Higher Than Intellect

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

I had a couple of comments last chapter that Severus was out of character, and doubtless I am going to get a few about Remus for this chapter. My reasons for their behaviours are, however, justified. It is impossible for Severus to be all snark-and-sarcasm, all the time. Likewise, it is impossible Remus to be patient and sweet and nice all the time. Severus has feelings and he is capable of being nice (even if he has to go through emotional hell to do it!) And Remus, like everyone, has a dark side, even if his morals keep it in check 99.9% of the time…

And as to Sirius and Regina's child… no, it's not an original character… so keep guessing, though even if you guess right I'm not saying anything!

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"Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

Remus wheeled, the jar of Floo powder in his hands. "Sweet Merlin, Aemilia, you scared me!"

Aemilia was leaning casually against the doorjamb. She was wearing robes of deep blue and looked - in Remus's opinion anyway - very pretty. "Good morning to you too," she said, smiling. "Where are you off to?"

"St. Mungo's," Remus replied.

Aemilia quirked an eyebrow. "But you're not working today."

"I'm going to see my mother."

"But you saw her only a couple of weeks ago." Aemilia crossed the room, looking at him with brows furrowed. "Where are you going, Remus?"

He sighed, anxiously fingering the phial in his pocket. "I really am going to St. Mungo's, Aemilia, and I really am going to see my mother, and I really do have a reason, but I really am in a hurry even though I really would like to properly explain it to you -"

"Really?" she asked. He could see laughter in her eyes.

He smiled. "Really."

"You'll explain it to me later?"

"I promise. But - I have to do this now, Aemilia."

She stood up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. "I understand," she said softly. "Incidentally, I've come to add to your workload."

This time it was him who quirked an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes, really," she said, sticking her tongue out at him. "Dumbledore's orders, not mine. He said you're to fetch the Weasleys and Hermione Granger. He wants them here for moral support for when Harry and the Dursleys arrive later today."

"Now?"

"Soon."

Remus nodded. "I'll do it after I go to St. Mungo's, then. Can you tell Dumbledore?"

"Of course. But now," she said, "I have to get back to my papers and try not to run into my father as he runs all over the castle trying to find out what points I'm going to call the Dursleys on tomorrow."

"Good luck," he said softly, kissing her softly on the lips.

"Same to you," she replied, ruffling his hair playfully. "Now be off with you."

He pretended to tip his hat. "Yes, m'lady." He threw the Floo powder into the fireplace. "St. Mungo's!"

And he was gone.

*

"Hello, mother."

Arethusa Lupin glared at her son. Remus did not find it hard to believe that she thought he looked too happy. _It would be just like her, _he thought. 

"It's only been two weeks since I came to see you last," he commented, sitting back in his chair and putting his hands behind his head, "but what an eventful two weeks it has been.

Arethusa stared impassively at him. _I don't care,_ he could practically hear her thinking. _I don't care at all._

"I saw your veil again," Remus went on, trying very hard not to look as her eyes lit up at the mention of it. "And you know what, mother? The people behind it aren't as far gone as you thought."

Arethusa's eyes flew wide open and she began to gnaw at the leather between her teeth, trying desperately to break it. 

"I talked to them," Remus said, glaring at his mother. "To Sirius. And," he leaned in, "to Regina."

Arethusa continued to gnaw at the leather, but there was no mistaking the look in her eyes. Fear. And hatred.

Remus pulled a phial out of his pocket. "Do you know what this is, mother?" He had no doubt that Arethusa did know what it was - she had probably administered it more times than Mad-Eye Moody, trying to get the truth of their experiences out of the people she experimented on - but he ploughed on nevertheless. "It's Veritaserum."

He fingered the bottle idly. His mother, he noted, was making progress on the leather. Her persistence was probably born of fear. Or hatred. One of them, anyway.

"Now, I don't want to have to give this to you, mother," he said, "but I will if I have to." He leaned in. "I know Sirius and Regina had a child, and I know you took the child as well when you took Regina from the temple. But I know it's not behind the veil, so don't try to tell me that it is."

Arethusa glared at him. _So you finally found out my secret,_ he could almost hear her think. _But there's nothing you can do about it._

But there was something he could do about it, and Remus knew it. "Now, mother," he said calmly, "I have a proposal for you. You tell me what you did with the child, and I may be able to satisfy your greatest desire. The one that Regina refused to satisfy you."

His mother's voice echoed in his mind. _She was bad, and so I took her._

"Regina knew some of the secrets of life and death, and you knew she knew," Remus said. "And there was nothing you wanted more than to know, was there? James used to tell me about you at work - he was an Unspeakable too, don't you remember? About the sick experiments you performed, trying to figure out the secrets - hell, I saw all the times you used to try to summon wights in the backyard! - but all the time you knew the answers lay in books at Telae Domus. In the Libri of Life and Death - books Regina had access to. Telae Domus is gone now, and so are the books. There are two people left who know the secrets, not counting the wights. One is a priestess, and this does not concern her. The other is Regina, and we _will _get her back. But there are papers, written by Lily and James Potter, that we are going to recover. that will pass to me when we win our lawsuit. And Lily was a priestess, same as Regina."

He leaned back. "So, that's the deal, mother. You tell me where the child is, and I will let you read the papers." He knew this was immoral, knew it and felt his heart fall sickeningly, but he had to do it. He had to know. "Do we have an accord?"

Arethusa fixed her eyes on his. Then, slowly, she shook her head.

"What do you want then?" Remus asked, frustrated.

Arethusa jerked her head towards the window. _That as well,_ he almost heard her hiss. 

"You want to be let out?"

Arethusa nodded.

Remus felt like he was reeling back from a precipice. Had he really been about to offer his mother an accord? Did he really believe she could be trusted? "No," he grated. "No!"

__

Do it, the wolf growled in his mind.

Then he ripped the leather out from between her teeth and forced the Veritaserum down her throat.

*

Afterwards, when Arethusa had told her secrets, when the Weasleys and Hermione were safe at Hogwarts and he was back in his own rooms, Remus buried his head in his hands.

"I'd have been happier not knowing," he muttered.

He took out his wand and looked at it for a long time before taking a deep breath.

Then he pointed the tip to his head. "_Obliviate._"

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	40. However Steep And Rugged It May Be

Disclaimer: i don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

Once again, I may be going away for a few days - this time I'm not exactly certain when I'll be back (I'm directing a show at the moment and we're starting set construction - I'm basically moving in.) So I've put up a few extra chapters today just in case. If I get back sooner rather than later - lucky readers. You have extra chapters. Aren't I a nice considerate author? ;-D

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"C'mon, Snape. Time to go."

Severus looked up. "All right, Moody," he replied. He smoothed Helena's gold hair back from her face and stood up, pulling the curtains around her bed closed behind him.

She had not woken up all day, though her eyelids had flickered now and then. Madam Pomfrey had bustled in to look at her a few times and had given her a sedative combined with a Dreamless Sleep Potion. She had told Severus it would help her get over the shock and that it wouldn't harm the baby.

That had been when it really hit home for Severus. He was going to have a _child._ A child. He had procreated. There was going to be another being - a daughter, a son - that had his blood in his veins.

His black blood. His traitorous blood.

"Snape? Oi, Snape!"

Severus shook his head as if trying to clear it. "Sorry, Moody," he said.

"Make sure you keep your mind on the job," Moody growled. "You of all people should know how dangerous things can be."

Severus nodded. "Yes, Moody."

Moody eyeballed him suspiciously. "Are you the real Snape?"

"Of course I bloody am!"

"The real Snape doesn't daydream!"

Severus bared his teeth. "Under normal circumstances, perhaps," he grated. "But -" he gesticulated to Helena's curtains, "- there is a woman carrying my child in there. I do believe I am entitled to a few exceptions."

Moody still looked suspicious. "Just see that you don't daydream on the job, whether or not your girlfriend is pregnant," he barked. "You know the lengths we have to go to so as to protect the Potter boy."

Severus's lip curled. "Believe me, I know," he said coolly.

Moody took the jar of Floo powder off the mantelpiece. "We're Flooing to the Three Broomsticks, then Apparating," he said. "And remember - CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

*

"Not a very cheerful kind of place, is it?" Moody commented gruffly as he and Snape materialised on the driveway of 4 Privet Drive. "Very… sanitised."

"I don't expect they look kindly on things that are _unclean,_" Snape replied shortly.

"Got the Portkey?"

"Yes."

"Right, then."

Moody rapped on the front door of 4 Privet Drive. "I hope they haven't tried to do a runner," he muttered. "It's a bloody pain trying to track Muggles down that way."

But Moody's fears proved unfounded. The door opened.

"Hello, Professor Moody," Harry said mildly. "Hello Professor Snape."

"Potter," Snape growled in acknowledgment.

"Come in," Harry said, opening the door wide.

Snape followed Moody into the house. _Moody was right,_ he realised. _This place is more… sanitary… than I realised._

The three Dursleys were gathered in the living room. Three very new looking suitcases were standing next to Harry's trunk. Dudley looked scared and Vernon looked angry, but the expression on Petunia's face was something Severus couldn't quite place. Almost as if she were a little… excited.

"Right," Moody said gruffly, removing his bowler hat, which caused Dudley to squeak with fear and hide behind his mother at the sight of the magical eye. "We've met."

"Y-yes," Vernon stammered.

"Portkey," Moody demanded, not looking at Severus.

Severus took the golf ball out of his pocket and handed it to Moody. He caught Harry looking at him and glared at him ferociously.

"All you need to do," Moody told them brusquely, "is put a finger on it, and when it activates it'll take you to Hogwarts. Professor Snape here will go with you. I'll Apparate with your luggage and Floo from Hogsmeade before I go back to Headquarters."

Severus could tell that none of this meant anything much to the Dursleys, though Petunia seemed to understand.

"Let your owl out, Harry," Moody growled. "She can fly."

"Yes, Professor," Harry said, taking Hedwig to the window and letting her go. He seemed determined to be polite, but Severus didn't know why. 

"I hope you haven't got your wand in your back pocket again," Moody warned him crustily.

Harry grinned. "No, Professor."

"Good." Moody handed Harry the Portkey. "It's due to depart soon, so mind you all put a finger on it - NOW!" he barked at Vernon and Dudley, who seemed hesitant to move. Moody turned to Harry. "Now, boy, if anything should go awry, Snape's with you. But if he should get killed -" Snape's lip curled involuntarily, "- you take the Knight Bus to You-Know-Where, all right?"

"London?" Harry asked. Severus knew that by 'London,' Harry meant '12 Grimmauld Place.'

"Yes," Moody replied gruffly. He took all three of the Dursleys' suitcases in one hand and Harry's trunk in the other. Severus knew that Moody was strong as an ox and so it didn't come as a surprise, but Dudley gaped openly. "Remember," Moody said to Severus and Harry, "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

And with a crack! he Disapparated.

Severus felt the eyes of all the Dursleys on him. "What are you about, Potter?!" he snapped. "Hold out the Portkey."

Harry obeyed, not saying a word. Severus put a finger on it and so did Petunia, but Vernon and Dudley hung back. Severus took out his wand. 

"Now," he snarled, and they obeyed.

Then, as if an invisible hook had caught them all, all five of them disappeared, landing safely in the Entrance Hall at Hogwarts. 

*

"HARRY!"

Harry was almost bowled over as Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley flung themselves at him. "Yes, yes, it's me," he laughed.

Ron Weasley was standing back. "All right, Harry?" he said, clapping his friend's back.

"Touching as this reunion is," Severus commented dryly, "I suggest you have it elsewhere."

"Are we staying in Gryffindor Tower?" Harry asked.

"I believe I have told you on numerous occasions to call me 'sir', Potter."

Harry sighed. "Are we staying in Gryffindor Tower, _sir_?"

"You are. Get out of my sight."

Harry shot him a nasty look but obeyed. "Guess _what?!_" Severus heard Hermione squeal as they ran up the stairs. "We get our OWL results back this afternoon!"

"Follow me," he said shortly to the Dursleys, and led them towards their temporary quarters in rooms outside Gryffindor Tower.

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	41. Interlude: Walking Away Side By Side

Disclaimer: i don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

Once more, this is a just-in-case-I'm-away chapter (because I'm _such_ a nice person!) and it is also a Sirius interlude…

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James and Sirius stood looking at each other for a very long time.

"Padfoot," James said, voice cracking.

"Prongs." Sirius could feel the tears spilling over his eyelids and he did not try to hold him back. He hugged James fiercely, the best friend he had ever had or ever would have. "Prongs."

James drew back at last. "Journey safely, Sirius," he said. "And… tell my boy… tell Harry - that his old dad is proud of him. That he's the kind of lad I wish I could have been. That I miss him. That I love him very much."

Sirius nodded. "I'll watch over him too, James," he replied, choking slightly on his tears. "I promise. I'll try hard to be a good godfather."

James smiled. "He doesn't need a _good_ godfather, Sirius," he said, voice breaking. "He needs a godfather that will love him. That already loves him. He needs _you, _Sirius."

"I love him like my own son," Sirius whispered. "I want you to know that."

James was crying now too. "Thankyou," he murmured through his tears. "Thankyou."

Lily put her hand on his arm. "Are you ready to go, Sirius?"

Sirius drew back. "Yes," he said. "Yes, I am."

Lily drew her wand from her sleeve and pointed it at a piece of parchment. "_Novacula Aparecium!_"

The knife was not curved and wicked-looking like the one Regina had conjured in the Void-bubble. Lily's knife was shining silver and straight, with rubies set into the hilt, yet still as inexorably… eldritch.

She held it loosely in her hand. "Can you carry a message for Harry from me too, Sirius?"

"Of course," Sirius whispered in reply.

"Tell him…" Lily hesitated. "Tell I love him and I wish I could be with him. That James and I are always watching. And not to play Quidditch in wet socks because he'll catch a cold and I don't want him to be sick. I don't want him to be hurting ever, and I'm so sorry that he is. And tell him -" her voice was barely above a whisper now, "- that we're waiting for him."

Sirius found himself nodding. "I'll tell him, Lily. I promise."

Lily raised the knife. "Are you ready?"

Sirius looked at James as if for approval. "Yes," he answered. "I am."

The silver blade bit into Sirius's arm. "By this blood, Arachne," Lily murmured, "I conjure thee, let this man walk the way between the worlds!"

Lily's magic was different to Regina's, Sirius reflected. Regina's magic had been earthy, grounded. Lily's was lighter, more airy. They were both beautiful, in their own way, and both different to ordinary magic. _Of course the magic is different, _Sirius thought. _It's eldritch magic. Wight magic._

Lily placed her hands on either side of James's head. "By the greatness of my husband's soul, Arachne, I conjure thee, let this man walk the way between the worlds!"

Sirius could feel the room trembling as the magic built to an almost unbearable point. His body felt light, weightless, and he could feel himself begin to fade.

Lily raised her wand. "By the magic of the space between, Arachne, I conjure thee, let this man walk the way between the worlds!"

Sirius felt himself enveloped in a blinding flash of light. For an instant, he saw James's face and then the light surrounded him, picked him up, carried him off.

He knew no more.

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	42. The Quintessence Of Uncertainty

Disclaimer: i don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

Once more, this is a just-in-case-I'm-away chapter (because I'm _such_ a nice person!). This one is a Remus chapter…

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Dinner that night was, Remus reflected, a rather odd affair. 

Everyone in Hogwarts ate in the Great Hall, but Fudge and Aemilia seemed determined to avoid each other, and Harry seemed determined to avoid the Dursleys, and Severus seemed determined to avoid every one - particularly Helena, who had woken in the early evening.

__

It's going to be interesting when she finds out she's pregnant, Remus thought. _I hope I'm there to watch._

He was oddly cheerful and did not know why. He had the oddest feeling he should be more melancholy, but why that should be he had no clue.

He was sitting with Dumbledore, Aemilia, Helena, Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys (minus Percy) at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. He had caught Aemilia throwing vicious glances over her shoulder to the Slytherin table, where Fudge was eating with a sourfaced Dursley family. Severus was sitting several seats away from them, by himself. Helena was looking at him pensively. She had not said much all evening.

The younger generation were in fine form, however. "I can't believe I passed SIX subjects!" Ron whooped. Harry and Hermione were both grinning fit to burst as well.

"What did you pass, Ron?" Remus asked.

"Here." Ron handed him a sheet of paper. "Read and weep, Professor, read and weep."

"You can call me Remus, you know," Remus said distractedly as he turned his attention to Ron's results.

__

From the desk of the Board of Magical Education (Examination Department)

Mr. Ronald Weasley

Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry

Dear Mr. Weasley,

This is your official notification of the results of your Ordinary Wizarding Level Examinations. The Department of Magical Education would like to congratulate you on receiving nine OWLs.

Defence Against the Dark Arts (theory) - Outstanding

Defence Against the Dark Arts (practical) - Outstanding

Three OWLs achieved

Charms (theory) - Exceeds Expectations

Charms (practical) - Acceptable

OWL achieved

Transfiguration (theory) - Acceptable

Transfiguration (practical) - Exceeds Expectations

OWL achieved

Potions (theory) - Acceptable

Potions (practical) - Exceeds Expectations

OWL achieved

Herbology (theory) - Acceptable

Herbology (practical) - Acceptable

OWL achieved

Care of Magical Creatures (theory) - Exceeds Expectations

Care of Magical Creatures (practical) - Outstanding

Two OWLs achieved

Divination (purely practical) - Poor

OWL not achieved

Astronomy (theory)- Poor

Astronomy (practical) - Poor

OWL not achieved

History of Magic (purely theory) - Poor

OWL not achieved

Congratulations!

Griselda Marchbanks

Head Examiner

"Why did you get three OWLs for Defence Against the Dark Arts?" Ginny asked her brother. "How does that work?"

"Ask Hermione," Ron replied, yawning.

"If you get an Outstanding result in a subject, it counts as another OWL," Hermione explained. "Two OWLs means you've reached the next 'level,' so to speak. You get three OWLs if you get an O in the theory and the practical exam. It's like the highest level."

"Well done, Ron," Remus said, handing the piece of paper back to Ron. "May I see your results, Harry, Hermione?"

"Of course, Professor!" Hermione said eagerly, handing him her results sheet.

Harry was rooting around in his bag for his. "I'll give them to you in a sec," he told Remus.

Remus began to read Hermione's results.

__

From the desk of the Board of Magical Education (Examination Department)

Miss Hermione Granger

Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry

Dear Miss Granger,

This is your official notification of the results of your Ordinary Wizarding Level Examinations. The Department of Magical Education would like to congratulate you on receiving twenty-four OWLs (the highest amount in Britain this year.)

Defence Against the Dark Arts (theory) - Outstanding

Defence Against the Dark Arts (practical) - Outstanding

Three OWLs achieved

Charms (theory) - Outstanding

Charms (practical) - Outstanding

Three OWLs achieved

Transfiguration (theory) - Outstanding

Transfiguration (practical) - Outstanding

Three OWLs achieved

Potions (theory) - Outstanding

Potions (practical) - Outstanding

Three OWLs achieved

Herbology (theory) - Outstanding

Herbology (practical) - Exceeds Expectations

Two OWLs achieved

Care of Magical Creatures (theory) - Outstanding

Care of Magical Creatures (practical) - Outstanding

Three OWLs achieved

Arithmancy (purely practical) - Outstanding

Two OWLs achieved

Study of Ancient Runes (purely theoretical) - Exceeds Expectations

OWL achieved

Astronomy (theory)- Outstanding

Astronomy (practical) - Exceeds Expectations

Two OWLs achieved

History of Magic (purely theory) - Outstanding

Two OWLs achieved

Congratulations!

Griselda Marchbanks

Head Examiner

Remus raised his eyebrows. "Twenty-four OWLs, Hermione?"

Hermione was beaming with pride. "Yes."

Remus reached over and shook her hand. "Well done."

"I have noticed," Dumbledore spoke up, "that while Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley both have awards for Special Services to the school, you do not, Miss Granger." His eyes twinkled. "I think, that with the highest amount of OWLs in Britain, one is warranted."

Hermione turned red. "A - a special award? Thankyou, Professor!"

Harry had found his results and passed them to Remus. "Here you go," he said.

__

From the desk of the Board of Magical Education (Examination Department)

Mr. Harry Potter

Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry

Dear Mr. Potter,

This is your official notification of the results of your Ordinary Wizarding Level Examinations. The Department of Magical Education would like to congratulate you on receiving eleven OWLs.

Defence Against the Dark Arts (theory) - Outstanding

Defence Against the Dark Arts (practical) - Outstanding

Three OWLs achieved

Charms (theory) - Exceeds Expectations

Charms (practical) - Exceeds Expectations

OWL achieved

Transfiguration (theory) - Exceeds Expectations

Transfiguration (practical) - Outstanding

Two OWLs achieved

Potions (theory) - Acceptable

Potions (practical) - Outstanding

Two OWLs achieved

Herbology (theory) - Acceptable

Herbology (practical) - Acceptable

OWL achieved

Care of Magical Creatures (theory) - Exceeds Expectations

Care of Magical Creatures (practical) - Outstanding

Two OWLs achieved

Divination (purely practical) - Poor

OWL not achieved

Astronomy (theory)- Poor

Astronomy (practical) - Poor

OWL not achieved

History of Magic (purely theory) - Dreadful

OWL not achieved

Congratulations!

Griselda Marchbanks

Head Examiner

Remus passed the paper back to Harry. "Eleven," he said, smiling. "Well done."

Harry smiled crookedly. "Thanks, Prof - Remus."

"Your father and Sirius both got eleven OWLs," Remus told Harry.

Harry's green eyes lit up. "Really? How many did my mother get?"

"Twelve," Remus replied. "James was very jealous, let me tell you!"

"What was my dad's job?" Harry asked. "It says in my mum's diary - the one that Aemilia gave me - that he wanted to be an Auror…"

"He did want to be an Auror," Remus answered, "but for… reasons -"

"Order reasons?"

"Yes. Because of those reasons, he became an Unspeakable."

Harry breathed in sharply. "He worked in the Department of Mysteries?"

Remus nodded. "The papers that the court case is over tomorrow… they're the result of your dad working there."

"What about my mum? Didn't she help?"

Remus shot an uneasy glance at Helena. He really did not want to have to bring up the Arachniae in front of her.

But, surprisingly, she did it for him. "Have you heard of the Arachniae, Mr. Potter?"

"No," Harry replied uneasily. He had been introduced to Helena earlier, but he was still uncomfortable.

"The priestesses of Arachne," Helena answered. "No longer in existence." She said this so curtly and stonily that Remus wondered if she'd put some kind of eldritch charm on herself to stop her from having an emotional breakdown. "They have - had - books that dealt in depth with matters of life and death, secrets shared with them by seelie wights in ancient times. Your mother had access to them."

Harry looked quizzically at Remus. "My mother was a priestess?"

"Until she fell pregnant with you. Then she left and began working from home. She wrote articles for a periodical on Charms," Remus said. He sighed. As always, thinking of the Arachniae brought Regina into his mind. "My sister Regina was a priestess as well." There was something niggling at him, something about Regina, but he could not put his finger on it.

"What about Sirius? What was his job?" Hermione asked. She and Ron had evidently been listening to the whole exchange.

Remus grinned. "Sirius worked two jobs. He was a junior member of the Muggle-worthy Excuse Committee for the Ministry by day, but by night he was Sirius Black, First Violinist for the London Wizarding Philharmonic."

"Sirius played in an orchestra?" Ron asked, aghast. "Isn't that… kind of… girly?"

Hermione hit him. "No, it's not!" she told him shrilly.

Remus laughed gently. "Of course it's not girly, Ron. Loads of men play the violin. Where did you get the idea that playing the violin is girly?"

Ron cast an evil glare at Fred and George, who turned bright red and evidently felt the need to change the subject. "Hehehe…" Fred said. "Well… won't Snape be pleased when he finds out his favourite students passed? Have you told him yet?"

"No," Hermione replied.

George grinned. "OI! SEV!"

Ginny dissolved into giggles. Hermione gave her a disparaging look.

Severus swept over, looking like, Remus considered, an oversized, bad-tempered bat. "What?" he asked George shortly.

"I believe Mr. Weasley was calling you over," Dumbledore said smoothly, "so these three students could tell you personally the results of their Potions OWLs."

Severus looked bitter and irritated. "Well?" he barked, rounding on Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"I passed, Professor," Ron said cheerfully, seeming to believe that he was safe while Dumbledore was there. "An A and an E."

"Very well," Severus spat. "Potter?"

"An A and an O, sir," Harry answered.

Severus looked coolly at Harry. "My, my, the Department's standards have gone down, haven't they? Miss Granger?" he snapped suddenly.

Ron draped a proud arm around Hermione's shoulders. "She got two Outstanding OWLs," he said proudly.

Severus looked like he'd eaten something very unpleasant. "Well done, Miss Granger," he said coldly, before sweeping out of the hall.

Ron was in fits of laughter. 'Did you see the look on his FACE!? He looked like someone had shoved dung under his nose!"

"Yes, yes," Fred said. "Shut up and eat. Here, have some pumpkin pie."

Ron, Harry and Hermione all wrinkled their noses. "Yuck," they said simultaneously.

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	43. On The Path To The Greatest Nemesis

Disclaimer: i don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

Once more, this is a just-in-case-I'm-away chapter (because I'm _such_ a nice person!). This one is a Severus chapter…

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Severus knew he had to tell her, did not know how.

__

How does one tell a woman you barely know that she is carrying your child? he thought, closing his office door behind him and sinking into his chair with a sigh. _How is it done?_

He had no-one to turn to ask advice. Every prospective parent he had ever met had been happily married and beaming when they announced their imminent arrival. James Potter's smiling face came into his head. _Well,_ he had said at a meeting of the Order, _Lily and I have some news. We're going to have a baby._

He almost fainted when I told him, Lily had added, poking James in the ribs.

That was it. The mother usually knew before the father. He was in a sad conundrum.

__

To face facts, Severus thought, _the person with the closest experience to mine is Sirius Black._

Sirius had had a child out of wedlock. Regina's child. A child that he did not know about.

Severus let a wry smile curve his lips. _At least I _know _I am an expectant father,_ he thought. _I am beating him in that department, at least._

But the truth was that he could never equal Sirius Black. Sirius had won Regina, and he had lost.

__

And my consolation prize? A child with a woman six years younger than me, whom I barely know.

Severus put his head in his hands. _What am I going to do?_

He could not just leave Helena. That he knew. He would not let her bring up a child all by herself - as Regina had seemed determined to do. And the child was - would be, anyway - his heir. He had not otherwise procreated, and the Snape estate had to go to _someone._

But what relationship did he now pursue with Helena Seraphim? The father who dropped round every Sunday and paid child support? Did he offer to keep the child with him at Hogwarts? Did he offer to marry her?

And, moreover, would she accept him if he did?

She deserved more, he knew. Helena Seraphim deserved more than a broken-spirited Potions professor with a life as a double agent, the Dark Mark on his arm and his heart behind the veil with the mother of another man's child. He had nothing to offer her.

But he did have a duty to her. He had fathered her child.

__

I will do what is necessary, he thought. _I must._

He picked up a box off his desk and opened it. He gazed at the contents for a long time before he took something out and pocketed it.

*

Half an hour later, he wrapped on Helena's door.

"Come in!" he heard her call, and he pushed the door open.

She was sitting in a chair by her fire, merrily chatting to someone. "Did he really - oh." Her voice took on a more sombre tone. "Hello, Severus."

"Hello," he replied. _What else am I supposed to say?_

"Well, Helena, I'd best be off," her visitor said, standing. He stooped and kissed Helena on both cheeks and his eyes lingered on hers a long time before he straightened. "I'll come by tomorrow morning after breakfast, and we'll finish our little chat."

Helena smiled. "I'd like that."

The man glanced at Severus fleetingly before going out the door and Severus saw suspicion in his eye.

It was Bill Weasley.

*

"What was Weasley doing here?" Severus demanded without ceremony.

Helena regarded him coolly. "It is not really your business," she said, "but Bill and I were in the same year at school. We were… friends, and we were reminiscing for old times sake."

Severus snorted. "You want to be more careful who you associate with."

He half expected Helena to shout at him. It was what most women would have done. But she merely considered him icily through her slate-grey eyes. "What is wrong with Bill Weasley?"

"He's ostentatious and pretentious," Severus replied disparagingly. "He's a living breathing affectation."

"And you aren't?"

"_What?_"

Helena calmly folded her hands. "You don't bother washing your hair, you habitually wear black and favour Slytherin. You refrain from kindness and compassion at all costs, particularly where it concerns Gryffindors. You spend your life acting like a complete cad so the students will believe you are. So the children of Aurors believe you are a Death Eater and, more importantly, the children of Death Eaters believe it too. But that is not who you are." Her grey eyes seemed to be piercing into his skull. "Compared to a ponytail, a fang earring and a pair of dragonhide boots, your affectations are great indeed."

Severus glared at her. "My _affectations,_" he said from between gritted teeth, "are not a matter of choice." His fingers found something in his pocket and, surreptitiously, he stuck it on the underside of the table.

"Are you sure?"

"What do you mean, am I sure?"

Helena rose. "If you did not have to pretend to 'behave badly,' per se, would you not still behave the same way? Would you be fair? Would you still hate? - and I know you hate, Severus."

Severus turned away. "As well ask how many ripples a leaf will make when it is dropped in a puddle, Helena," he snapped. "I am shaped by my experiences."

"Your race has begun to learn, I see."

Severus chose to ignore this cryptic comment. "Sit down, Helena," he told her tersely. "I have something to tell you."

Helena sat calmly and steepled her fingers. "I am listening."

Severus remained standing. He could not bear to sit. "I have not the faintest idea what the accepted mode is in making this kind of declaration," he said curtly, "so I will be blunt." He took a deep breath. "You are carrying my child."

A normal woman, Severus reflected, would have thrown something at him, or fainted, or screamed. At least gasped. But not Helena Seraphim. She merely raised her eyebrows.

"And how can you be so sure this child - if a child there is - is yours?"

Severus opened his mouth. And shut it again.

"You don't know," Helena said. A statement. She stood, crossed the room, faced him. "There is no way you could know." 

"I - I assumed -"

Her eyes grew hard. "The ego of a man. Always to assume, never to think." She turned away abruptly. "I suggest you leave, Severus."

"Please - Helena!" He caught her arm.

"Let go of me, Severus," she said quietly.

"Helena -"

"I SAID, _LET GO!_"

Her eyes were blazing now as she turned on him. Involuntarily, Severus took a step backwards. "Helena -"

"Don't you think you've done enough damage already?" she hissed. "Go!"

He stood his ground. "I want you to know," he told her quietly, "that I will support you. I will marry you, if that is what you want."

"What I _want_," she grated, "is for you to leave. Now."

Severus did not need to be told again. Without a further word, he stepped out of the door and, perhaps, out of her life.

*

Outside, he leaned his head against the wall, breathing deeply. He could hear her crying inside the room, great shuddering sobs that he imagined racked her whole body. "Helena," he murmured. "I'm sorry."

"I'm afraid sorry isn't good enough, Snape."

Severus wheeled. "Who's there?"

"Oh, just a living breathing affectation," Bill Weasley said dryly, stepping out of the shadows. 

"You were _listening_?"

Bill's blue eyes were hard. "You made her cry, you bastard!"

And he punched Severus in the face.

________________

REVIEW!


	44. Everything Goes Like Silk

Disclaimer: i don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

I severely doubt I'll be holed up in my theatre for five days, but it would be a sin to put these two chapters up too far apart, because they kind of continue into one another… and also, it puts me at a perfect (cliffhanger-esque) stopping point, because… next chapter, to be posted whenever it is I get back, is the long-awaited lawsuit!

A wight called the Each Uisge gets a mention in this chapter. Just for the record, that's pronounced _ech oosh-kya_ and it's a type of wight called a waterhorse. Basically, it lives in water and can appear as either a comely young man, or a magnificent horse. The Each Uisge is one of the lords of wights, and is also unseelie - essentially, very very evil! If you want to read a great book with wight-lore woven into it, read Cecilia Dart-Thornton's _Bitterbynde_ trilogy.

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Severus, one hand over his nose, uncorked a bottle of Blood Clotting Potion and swallowed it in one gulp. His nose stopped bleeding almost immediately.

He regarded himself in the glass of one of his cabinets. His right eye was beginning to purple - he would have a spectacular black eye tomorrow. His nose was bent at an impossible angle, but it was, thanks to the Blood Clotting Potion, not spurting blood any more.

Severus took out his wand and touched the tip of it to his nose. "_Naso Lineare!_"

His nose straightened, knitting back together. He sighed. He hated to think how many times that spell had come in useful.

__

All those many you broke your nose in fisticuffs with the Marauders, an insidious little voice hissed. _All those many times you were tortured by the Dark Lord._

How could he have ever thought he had anything to offer Helena?

His eyes fell on the box on his desk. He had not put it away before he went to Helena's room. Silently, he cursed Dumbledore for giving it to him.

Three golden W's were emblazoned on the lid, along with a motto. _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes._

But the proprietors of _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes _had recently become determined to become useful to the Order of the Phoenix. Using the technology they had utilised to create the Extendable Ears, the Weasley twins had created a spying device far more insidious and hence, far more useful.

__

Espionage Insects.

In short, bugging.

Severus put his head in his hands. He was a Slytherin. He was cunning and he used the resources at hand to best advantage. But he still had a conscience.

He had just bugged Helena Seraphim's room, and now, morally, he was paying.

But that didn't stop him listening to what was going on in her room.

*

__

"Helena?"

There was a sound of sobbing. "B-Bill."

Footsteps crossed the room. "Oh, Helena, I'm sorry."

"I - I never imagined it would be like this." Helena's voice was muffled. She had her face buried in his shoulder, then. "Never, never."

"No-one would ever want it to be like that, dearest." Bill's voice was soothing, comforting. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" She sounded like she was smiling through her tears. "It's not your fault, Bill."

"But - maybe it is."

"Why would it be your fault?"

"I should never have just run off to Egypt and left you. I never should."

"But, Bill…" Helena's voice was quiet and calm, though the teary edge was still there. "You know that was your golden opportunity. It was what you had always wanted to do, be a Curse Breaker. And when Egypt offered - the richest branch of Gringotts in the world - you had to accept. It fulfilled all your dreams."

"Did it?"

"Didn't it?"

"Not all of them, Helena." Bill's voice was bitter, acerbic. "Not by a long shot."

"But -"

"I wanted to be a Curse Breaker, have no illusions about that," Bill interrupted her. "But I also wanted to be a husband. A father."

Helena drew in a breath sharply. "Bill -"

"Helena." His voice was desperate now, urgent. "I loved you all those years at school. You know that."

"Well… yes…"

"And I left you. For tombs in Egypt." There was a clunk, and the sound of pacing. "If I hadn't left you, we wouldn't have drifted apart. You wouldn't have gone to the temple. None of this would be happening." He laughed bitterly. "I left the living for the dead, Helena, and now you are paying the price."

"Bill, I never blamed you." There were more sounds as Helena rose. "I never begrudged you your dreams. Not for me. And I did always want to be a priestess. The wights marked me for it from an early age. You know that."

Bill laughed again, astringently. "We're a sad pair, aren't we? We let something truly special slide through our fingers for the sake of a career."

Helena laughed too, just as humourlessly. "I know, Bill. I know." There were sounds as they sat back down again. "And now I'm pregnant, and -"

"- I'm working a desk job in Gringotts," Bill said. 

There was a pause. "Tell me about Fleur," Helena said softly.

"Fleur? Who told you about her?"

"I overheard your twin brothers talking about her," Helena replied. "Said you were giving her English lessons."

"Oh. Well, I am. She sits at the desk next to me. She's French, you see, and her English is - well, was, till I started tutoring her - shocking."

"They also said," Helena commented quietly, "that she was your girlfriend."

Bill snorted. "And you believed them? She's only nineteen. Far too young for me."

"So…"

"She's not my girlfriend, Helena." Bill's voice was insistent, low. "I teach her English. That's it."

"Oh."

There was another long pause. "Helena?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

Bill took a ragged breath. "I was listening outside. You know that."

"Yes."

"Well… I couldn't help overhearing… Snape said he'd marry you, if that was what you wanted. Is it -"

"What I want?"

"Well… yes."

"No, Bill. It is not what I want."

Bill exhaled. "Well... what is that you want?"

"I'm not sure." Helena's voice took on a dreamy quality. "I never imagined having a child till I was much older, if I ever had a child at all. My role models at the temple - Lily Potter and Regina Lupin, that is - both had children very young, and both met terrible ends. I wanted to steer away from that. I certainly never imagined having a child with Severus Snape. He was my teacher for a year, you know… he taught me fifth-year Potions. I dropped it after that, because I was rubbish at it. And I… I certainly never thought of him - that way. Even at the temple, after he had been cleansed and made the potion - he was terribly magnificent that night, Bill. I've never seen anything like it. He was like… like a Lord of Wights, and that is no mean feat. He was like the Each Uisge, but seelie. And even after I slept with him… I really thought nothing of it. I slept with a lot of men during my years at the temple. It was - at Beltane, at least - somewhat of a tradition. But a child… that I never expected. Never." Her voice drifted away. "And now… I don't know what am I to do. I have a great deal of respect for Severus Snape, but I don't want to marry him. But the child is as much his as mine. I don't know what am to do."

"I have a proposition for you, Helena," Bill said quietly. "Hear me out, all right?"

"All right."

Bill drew in a deep breath. "You know I love you, Helena. All those years in Egypt… not a day went past when I did not think of you. I loved you then, and I still do now." There was a sound as he dropped to his knees beside her. "Marry me, Helena."

"Wh - what?"

"I'll raise the child like my own," Bill said determinedly. "I'll be a father to him, even if he doesn't share my blood. Marry me, Helena. I love you, and I don't want to be apart from you, ever again."

"Bill…"

"Three times is magic," Bill whispered. "Marry me, Helena."

Her answer was barely more than a whisper. "Yes."

Severus was shaking. Too late did he recognise what he felt. "Helena," he murmured, his voice broken. "Helena."

__

The bad guy never gets the girl.

_____________

REVIEW!


	45. Thou Shalt Not Be A Bystander

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

Well, aren't you all just lucky lucky people! I'm back, and so you got five chapters for the price of three… 

In today's installment (probably the longest chapter in the whole fic) we have the lawsuit… the epic battle of Fudge vs Fudge… so ENJOY!

And when you're done enjoying, REVIEW!

__________

"All rise for the Wizengamot!"

Remus and Aemilia stood as the fifty jurors, clad in plum coloured robes, filed into the courtroom and took their seats. Dumbledore sat on one side of a woman Remus did not recognise. She was wearing black robes with an elaborate J worked on them in gold, proclaiming her the judge.

"That's Moira Meadowes," Aemilia whispered to Remus. 

"Any relation to Dorcas?"

"Younger sister. She's been working for the International Magical Office of Law for almost twenty years now. She's got a reputation as a fair judge."

"Contesting of the will of Sirius Canis Black on the 14th of August," Moira announced, her voice resonating around the courtroom. "Judge: Moira Abigail Meadowes, appointed by the International Magical Office of Law. Jurors: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore -"

Dumbledore stood in his place. "Miss Meadowes," he said calmly, "I am sure you realise that I have a personal interest in this case and therefore cannot be expected to judge fairly. I hearby disqualify myself from this case and appoint Amelia Susan Bones as the interim head of the Wizengamot in my place."

Moira nodded. "Take your seat in the gallery, then, Professor Dumbledore. Jurors: Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement…"

"Is she going to list all of the members of the Wizengamot?" Remus asked Aemilia in an undertone.

"Yes," Aemilia whispered back, her eyes fixed on Moira Meadowes.

"…Court Scribe, Percy Ignatius Weasley…"

Remus's head snapped up. Percy Weasley was indeed sitting on he end of the front bench, quill frantically scribbling as he took down all the names. He knew, despite the fact that the Ministry had changed their stance on the return of Voldemort, that Percy was still estranged from the family. _Some wounds take a long time to heal,_ he thought. _I only hope the wound heals before it is too late._ With a pang, he thought of his own sister. He would give anything to see Regina again.

"Attorney for the case of Vernon Shylock Dursley and Petunia Daisy Dursley: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister for Magic. Attorney for the case of Mr. Remus Jonathan Lupin: Aemilia Nasica Fudge, freelance attorney."

__

Percy writes extraordinarily fast, Remus thought idly as Percy's quill flew. He could see Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny sitting together in the gallery. All four looked very white.

Moira looked over her spectacles at Fudge. "Mr. Fudge," she said, "please call your first testifier."

*

Fudge stood. "The Counsel for the Dursley family calls Slipnog the Goblin to testify!"

Remus felt Aemilia relax a little in her chair beside him as the goblin shuffled to the witness stand. "I think I know what he's trying to do," she whispered, "and I think I can counter it."

"You are Slipnog the Goblin of Gringotts?" Fudge demanded.

"Yes," the goblin replied.

"You handled the financial dealings in the will of the late Mr. Sirius Black, did you not?"

"I did."

Fudge began to pace. "Tell us of the transactions you made."

"Seven thousand three hundred galleons were delivered to the account of Remus Lupin, the same amount to Albus Dumbledore and the same amount plus an antique violin to Harry Potter. The papers were not on the will."

"Please explain to us how these papers should be willed under fiscal law."

"Under normal circumstances, the papers would pass to Mr. Harry Potter, under Clause 22b), Item iii) in the Legal Requirements regarding the Contesting of Last Will and Testament, as he is the only living descendant of the original authors of the papers - Mr. and Mrs. James Potter. However, due to the fact that Mr. Potter is only sixteen and hence underage, the papers should pass to his legal guardians, Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Dursley, under Clause 22b), Item iv) in the Legal Requirements regarding the Contesting of Last Will and Testament."

Fudge had a triumphant look on his face. "So, legally, these papers should pass to the Dursley family."

Slipnog nodded. "So it seems."

Fudge turned exultantly to Moira. "The Counsel for the Dursley Family has no further questions to ask, Judge Meadowes."

Moira nodded in acknowledgment. "Thankyou, Mr. Fudge." She turned to Aemilia. "Miss Fudge?

Aemilia stood. "You conducted the transaction of the will of Mr. Sirius Black, yes?"

"I did."

"Were you the goblin that spoke directly to the executor of Mr. Black's will about this?"

"Yes."

"So you spoke to Mr. Remus Lupin on July the 26th."

"Yes."

Aemilia turned to Moira. "Judge Meadowes, I would like to submit a piece of evidence."

Moira nodded. "Proceed, Miss Fudge."

Aemilia took a piece of paper off her desk and handed it to Moira. "This is a transcript of the conversation between Slipnog the Goblin and Mr. Remus Lupin that took place on July the 26th," she said. 

Fudge stood up in his place. "Objection!"

Moira looked over her spectacles at Fudge. "Yes, Mr. Fudge?"

"The Gringotts Register is classified information," Fudge said, "therefore Miss Fudge must have come by that transcript illegally. Any evidence obtained illegally is void."

"Miss Fudge?" Moira said sharply. "Do you deny this?"

Aemilia smiled. "The law that deals directly with the Gringotts Register is the Decree on the Restriction of Knowledge on Fiscal Affairs of 1674," she said smoothly. "In Paragraph J, the law readsthus - _no witch or wizard may have access to the Gringotts Register except the Minister of Magic and his or her direct family._ As a member of the Minister of Magic's direct family, I am well within my rights to make copies of all or any part of the Gringotts Register, such as the one you see before you."

"Miss Fudge is no longer a member of the Minister of Magic's direct family," Fudge said through gritted teeth. "She has been disowned."

Aemilia glanced sardonically at her father. "I was disowned from the Minister of Magic's family on August the 12th," she said. "The transcript was on July the 30th, as you can see by the date on the top, authorised by the Chief Goblin at Gringotts who is, as you know, unimpeachable. At this time, I was still a member of the Minister of Magic's direct family."

Moira nodded slowly. "Overruled," she said to Fudge, who sat back down huffily. She passed the parchment down the front row to Percy. "This shall henceforth be known as Exhibit A," she declared. "Mr. Weasley, if you would be so kind."

Percy fixed his glasses on his nose, stood, and began to read. "At 1:12pm, Slipnog the Goblin said, _'Everything seems to be in order, then. When this will is processed, seven thousand three hundred Galleons will be paid to the account of Albus Dumbledore, the same amount to yourself and the same amount to Harry Potter as well as an eighteenth century violin. Correct?' _

"At 1:13pm, Mr. Lupin said, '_Yes_.' 

"Also at 1:13pm, Slipnog the Goblin said, '_What do you wish to do with the other items in Mr. Black's account, Mr. Lupin?' _

"Also at 1:13pm, Mr. Lupin said, _'Other items?' _

"Also at 1:13pm, Slipnog the Goblin said, _'On November the 1st, 1981, documents from the vault of Mr. and Mrs. James Potter were delivered to the vault of Mr. Sirius Black.' _

"At 1:14pm, Mr. Lupin said, _'Is there… any precedent?' _

"Also at 1:14pm, Slipnog the Goblin said, _'Yes. Under normal circumstances, such documents would be delivered to the scion of the original possessors.'_

"Also at 1:14pm, Mr. Lupin said, _'So they would go to Harry.' _

"Also at 1:14pm, Slipnog the Goblin said, _'But in this case, the scion is not yet of age, meaning the documents would go to his guardians. This means they would come into the possession of Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Dursley.'_

"At 1:15pm, Mr. Lupin said, _'Is there any way to contest this settlement? Mr. and Mrs. Dursley are Muggles, and I don't think it pertinent that they have wizarding documents of this sort in their hands.'_

"Also at 1:15pm, Slipnog the Goblin said, '_The settlement could be contested, but it could be a lengthy process. Given the nature of these documents, the Wizengamot would be the body of authority.'_

"At 1:16pm, Mr. Lupin said, '_And we would need -'_

"Also at 1:16pm, Slipnog the Goblin said, _'-a lawyer, yes. If you intend to contest the will, I suggest you speak to the International Magical Office of Law. Good day to you.'_

"Also at 1:16pm, Mr. Lupin said, '_But - what will happen to the documents in the meantime?'_

"Also at 1:16pm, Slipnog the Goblin said, _'They will remain in the vault of Mr. Black until such time as a proper settlement has been reached. Under magical law, you have seven days to contest the will and find yourself a counsel.'_

"At 1:17pm, Mr. Lupin said, _'The Dursleys - will they be informed?'_

"Also at 1:17pm, Slipnog the Goblin said, '_An owl will be dispatched. Good day, Mr. Lupin.'_

"Also at 1:17pm, Mr. Lupin left Gringotts." Percy sat back down again.

"In Exhibit A," Aemilia said, "Slipnog the Goblin clearly admits that there is room to contest the will of Mr. Sirius Black within the Legal Requirements regarding the Contesting of Last Will and Testament. Do you deny this?" she asked Slipnog suddenly.

"I do not."

"Why do you not deny this?"

"Clause 22b), Item v) of the Legal Requirements regarding the Contesting of Last Will and Testament states that if the guardian is deemed unsuitable, then another person may be nominated to receive the unwilled goods - in this case, the papers of Mr. and Mrs. James Potter."

"So if Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Dursley were deemed unsuitable, the papers could pass to another person - namely, Mr. Remus Lupin."

"Yes."

Aemilia turned to Moira. "We have it from the mouth of a goblin - undeniably the greatest experts in the wizarding world on fiscal law and economic matters - that if Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Dursley are deemed unsuitable, the papers could pass to a new guardian." She allowed herself a small smile. "The Counsel for Remus Lupin has no further questions to ask." She sat, her hand finding Remus's and squeezing.

"Thankyou, Mr. Slipnog," Moira said to the goblin. "You may leave."

__

I never knew Aemilia was this impressive, Remus thought half-dazedly as the goblin scurried away from the stand. He looked across at her appreciatively. _What a woman I have found myself!_

"Miss Fudge," Moira said, "please call your first testifier."

Aemilia stood. "The Counsel for Remus Lupin calls Miss Luna Rationalis Lovegood to testify."

*

"Objection!" Fudge cried immediately. "Miss Lovegood is not of age!"

Aemilia cast a wry glance at him. "Surely you are aware that anyone over the age of twelve can be called on to testify in a wizarding court?"

"Miss Fudge is correct," Moira said. "Objection overruled."

Fudge sat back down. Remus noted gleefully he looked highly embarrassed. 

"You are Miss Luna Rationalis Lovegood of Veridica Fields, Ottery St. Catchpole?" Aemilia asked gently.

"Yes," Luna replied. She looked - for a Lovegood, anyway, Remus reflected - quite normal today. Her wispy hair was braided down her back and she wore plain black robes. 

"You, along with Mr. Harry Potter, Mr. Ronald Weasley, Miss Hermione Granger, Mr. Neville Longbottom and Miss Virginia Weasley, entered the Ministry of Magic on June the 4th?"

"Yes," Luna answered. "We went to the Department of Mysteries to rescue Harry's godfather, but he wasn't there. It was a mean trick."

"While you were there," Aemilia said carefully, "you entered the room known as the Death Chamber, did you not? A room with a black veil in the middle of it?"

"Yes," Luna replied dreamily. "We went in there by accident first - we were trying to find the room with the prophecies, you see. When the fighting started, we ended up in there again."

Fudge stood up again. "Objection!"

Moira peered at him from over her spectacles. "Yes, Mr. Fudge?"

"These questions are irrelevant!"

"The relevance of these questions will become clear soon, Judge Meadowes," Aemilia said smoothly.

Moira nodded. "Overruled," she said to Fudge. "Miss Fudge, please make sure that relevance _is _made clear."

"Of course." Aemilia turned back to Luna. "When you were first in this room, you heard whispers from behind the veil, did you not?"

"I did," Luna answered distantly. "I could hear people whispering, though I couldn't hear what they were saying. Harry could hear them too, but no-one else could."

Aemilia turned to Moira. "In Paragraph B of the Classification of Beast, Being and Spirit, 1342, it states that any being that speaks cannot be truly classified as dead. This clause was originally inserted so as to give ghosts citizenship in the wizarding world, but it also applies to this case." She took a deep breath. "If the people behind the veil whisper, as Miss Lovegood tells us they do, then they cannot be legally dead."

A murmur of sound ran around the courtroom. "Are you saying, Miss Fudge," Moira said sharply, "that Sirius Black is not dead?"

Aemilia smiled. "Precisely." She nodded to Moira. "The Counsel for Remus Lupin has no further questions to ask." She sat back down.

"Thankyou, Miss Fudge," Moira said. "Mr. Fudge?"

Fudge stood. "Miss Lovegood," he said slowly, "is your father Vesanus Lovegood?"

Aemilia was on her feet immediately. "Objection!"

"Yes, Miss Fudge?" Moira asked.

"Miss Lovegood's parentage is in no way relevant to this case!" Aemilia said vehemently.

"My point shall become clear soon, Judge Meadowes," Fudge said.

Moira nodded. "Very well. Overruled, Miss Fudge. Mr. Fudge, please make sure your point does become clear. Miss Lovegood, please answer the question."

"Yes," Luna said. "My father is Vesanus Lovegood."

"He runs the magazine called _The Quibbler, _does he not?"

"Yes, he does."

Fudge turned to Moira. "Judge Meadowes, I would like to submit a piece of evidence."

"Proceed, Mr. Fudge."

Fudge handed something with glossy pages to Moira. "This is an edition of _The Quibbler_," he said with a wolfish smile.

With a sinking heart, Remus realised exactly what Fudge was trying to do. "You bastard," Aemilia murmured beside him.

"Can't you object?" Remus asked.

"No," Aemilia answered. "I can't keep objecting for irrelevance when he's said he'll get to the point."

"This shall henceforth be known as Exhibit B," Moira announced. 

"Exhibit B contains articles on various things," Fudge said dryly. "This particular issue contains an interview with a wizard who claims to have flown to the moon on a Cleansweep Six; runes that, reversed, contain a spell to turn your enemies' ears into kumquats, and an article on how I myself cook goblins in pies - as well as an article that suggests that Sirius Black (whom we all know to be a mass-murderer) is really the lead singer of the Hobgoblins."

There were shouts of laughter from round the courtroom. Moira, however, peered down her nose at Fudge. "Your point, Mr. Fudge?"

"Allow me to answer with a question to Miss Lovegood," Fudge said. He turned to Luna. "Miss Lovegood, do you believe in the Crumple-Horned Snorcack?"

"Yes," Luna replied firmly.

"The Blibbering Humdinger?"

"Yes."

"Heliopaths?"

"Yes."

Fudge turned back to Moira. "The girl is clearly as crazy as the father," he told her firmly. "Paragraph R of the Witness Requirements Legislation of 1782 states clearly that witnesses and testifiers must be of sound mind. I put it to you that Miss Luna Rationalis Lovegood of Veridica Fields, Ottery St. Catchpole is not of sound mind."

"Objection!" Aemilia was on her feet.

"Yes, Miss Fudge?"

"Miss Lovegood has proved herself to be noble and courageous, as I'm sure Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Longbottom, Miss Granger and Miss Weasley would testify," Aemilia said. "Miss Lovegood faced more Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries on June the 4th than many respectable wizards have faced in their lifetimes. And now Mr. Fudge accuses her of not being of sound mind? We must remember that Mr. Fudge also cast aspersions on the sanity of Mr. Harry Potter this past year - and it cannot be doubted that he was most appallingly wrong." Aemilia's dark eyes were hard. "Would you, once more, doubt the sanity of a girl who was a voice of truth in the web of lies both the Ministry and the media perpetrated last year? Do not insult this girl - who has been more courageous than most will ever be required to be - by casting doubt on her soundness of mind!"

"I call for a vote," Fudge said, glaring at his daughter. 

Moira consulted with Amelia Bones. "Mr. Fudge's call has been upheld," she announced. "The Wizengamot will take a vote on the sanity of Miss Lovegood via secret ballot."

"Please write down 'yes' if you believe Miss Lovegood is of sound mind, or 'no' if you believe she is not," Amelia Bones told the Wizengamot. "Special ballot slips have been provided."

There was a pause of a few seconds, then Moira picked up a piece of parchment. "The results have been recorded," she announced. "By twenty-five to twenty-three, the Wizengamot declare that Miss Luna Rationalis Lovegood of Veridica Fields, Ottery St. Catchpole, is _not_ of sound mind."

Remus heard Aemilia gasp and sink a little lower in her chair.

"Miss Lovegood, please leave the stand immediately," Moira told Luna tersely. "Miss Fudge, as your last witness has been disqualified, you are entitled to call a new witness."

Aemilia stood. There was a glint in her eyes. "I call Mr. Remus Jonathan Lupin to the stand."

*

Feeling slightly dazed and very shabby, Remus made his way to the stand. He could see everyone in the courtroom from here - Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny sitting together, white faced, a confused looking Luna sitting by her father, Dumbledore, the elder Weasleys, Fudge and the Dursleys, Aemilia…

"You are Remus Jonathan Lupin of London?" Aemilia asked.

"Yes," Remus replied.

Fudge stood up. "Where in London, Mr. Lupin?" he snarled nastily.

"Mr. Fudge!" Moira thundered. "You have not been recognised by the Chair!"

"I cannot say," Remus replied, trying to keep his voice mild. "My home is under the protection of the Fidelius Charm, and I am not the Secret-Keeper."

"Proceed, Miss Fudge," Moira told Aemilia.

"On July the 30th, you travelled to the Ministry of Magic, did you not?"

"I did."

"Why did you do this?"

"I am a werewolf," Remus said, deliberately eyeballing Cornelius Fudge as he said it, "and I went to the Ministry for the annual renewal of my licence."

"Did you go to the Department of Mysteries on this day?"

"I did."

Fudge stood. "WERE YOU AUTHORISED?" he roared.

"MR. FUDGE!_" _Moira shrieked. "This is the second time you have spoken out of turn! Sit _down!_"

"No, I was not authorised," Remus replied daringly, "but I went anyway."

"Why did you do this?" Aemilia asked.

Remus took a deep breath. "Because I wanted to grieve," he replied. "Sirius Black was - is still - my best friend. But he is not the only person I have lost to the veil in the Department of Mysteries."

"Who was the other person?" Aemilia asked softly. The courtroom was so quiet that a pin dropping might have been heard.

"My sister Regina," Remus answered, willing himself not to cry. "My mother Arethusa was an Unspeakable, but she was also mentally unstable. My sister was a priestess of Arachne, and as many of you are aware, the Arachniae possessed books known as the Libri of Life and Death, lore given to them by seelie wights of old. My mother desired these secrets more than anything, but Regina refused to give them to her. In September of 1980, my mother had Regina and her infant child abducted from the temple at Telae Domus." He almost fancied he heard a tiny splintering sound in his head at the thought of the child. "I… do not know what happened to the child. But my mother took Regina to the Department of Mysteries and pushed her through the veil." There were gasps from round the courtroom. "My mother was committed to St. Mungo's soon after, where she resides now, in a ward for the criminally insane." He took another deep breath. "I went to the Department of Mysteries, even though I was not authorised. I went there to grieve, for Sirius Black, for Regina Lupin and for their child -"

"_Their _child?" Moira interrupted. 

Remus knew her interruption could not be proper court etiquette. He had disarmed her, then, to a degree. "Yes," he answered softly. He fancied he felt another splintering in his mind. "I went to the Department of Mysteries to grieve for Sirius Black, for Regina Lupin and their child, whom I have never known." Another tiny splintering.

"What happened when you were in the Department of Mysteries?" Aemilia asked. 

"I contemplated suicide," Remus replied honestly. "The veil was right there. It had killed my best friend and my sister. There was a rightness about it killing me too. But then I heard… voices."

Fudge snorted where he sat, but did not say anything.

"What kind of voices?" 

"I heard the voices of the people behind the veil," Remus answered. "I heard Aberforth Dumbledore. Another voice I did not recognise. Then Regina. Finally, Sirius."

"What were they saying?"

"They were talking about how to break out of the place they were in," Remus replied. "They are not dead. They are… elsewhere - and by the sounds of their conversation, they are in the Void. Not dead."

"What did you do then?"

Remus smiled wryly. "I tried to talk to them. I called to Sirius and Regina through the veil."

"Objection!" Fudge was on his feet.

"Yes, Mr. Fudge?" Moira asked.

Fudge smirked. "Like Miss Lovegood," he said, "it is clear that Mr. Lupin is clearly out of his wits."

"Before you decide on that, please hear me out," Aemilia said firmly. "I can finish the story myself, because it was at this point that I entered the room." There were more gasps from around the courtyard. "I tried to coax Mr. Lupin away from the veil, not believing that he really had heard the voices. We were about to leave when Mr. Black called out to Mr. Lupin from behind the veil." There were more gasps. "Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin and Miss Lupin had a short conversation. As you are aware, Mr. Black was still in possession of a wand when he fell through the veil. This injection of magic into the Void-world they are in is causing it to fall apart, which is why Mr. Black and Miss Lupin could conduct a conversation with Mr. Lupin. In short -" Aemilia roved her eyes around the silent courtroom, "- neither Mr. Black nor Miss Lupin nor anyone behind that veil is dead. They are just… elsewhere." She turned to Moira. "And if they are not dead, then Mr. Black's will is void."

"Have you any further questions to ask?" Moira asked.

"No," Aemilia answered, and sat.

"Mr. Fudge?"

Fudge stood. "Well, this is a fine story, Mr. Lupin," he said, drawling his words slightly, "but why are we to believe a word of it?"

"Why should you not?" Remus shot back.

"Well, you are a werewolf, after all."

__

You bastard, Remus thought.

One of the jurors stood in their place. "The Chair recognises Lakshmi Patil, Juror," Moira said.

"Mr. Fudge," Lakshmi said, "even if Mr. Lupin cannot be believed, why should you disbelieve Miss Fudge? She is, after all, your daughter, and hardly a moral reprobate."

"Because she is CONSORTING WITH HIM!" Fudge bellowed. "Miss Fudge and Mr. Lupin are -"

But Remus never found out what Fudge thought he and Aemilia were, because there was an almighty crack! and a flash of white light in the middle of the courtroom. The barrier in his mind snapped, the Memory Charm broken, and he _remembered_. But his newfound memory was the least of his concerns at the moment.

"Hello, everyone," said Sirius Black. "What have I missed?

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	46. Interlude: He So Loved The World

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

A/N: Here it is… a Sirius interlude!

Yay for reviews! We broke 500! Yay!

There are some more wights mentioned in this chapter - namely, the Direach and Cearb the Killing One. Basically, they're very, very nasty. The only real weapon against the Direach is sunlight. It has big teeth and big claws. Not nice. Cearb is reputed to travel in a black coach. He wears a three-cornered hat like the horsemen on funeral coaches generally wear. He has a host of wights at his command and wherever he goes, he brings death. Once again, if you want to read a book with wight-lore in it, read Cecilia Dart-Thornton's _Bitterbynde_ trilogy. 

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"SIRIUS!"

Sirius's head snapped up as Harry vaulted the balcony of the gallery and ran straight at him. "HARRY!"

He enfolded the boy - though, he reflected, he was hardly a boy any more - in a paternal hug. "Oh, Harry," he murmured fiercely.

Harry drew back and there were tears streaming down his face. "You came back!" he said hoarsely.

Sirius smiled. "I came back."

There was a cacophony of noise around them. The Wizengamot were in shocked conversation, the people in the galleries either cheering or screaming, Cornelius Fudge on his feet and yelling at the top of his lungs.

There was an almighty thwack! as Moira Meadowes brought down her gavel on the bench in front of her. "ORDER!"

The courtroom fell silent. Sirius suddenly felt very defenceless. He had no wand - he had left it with Regina when she had projected herself out of the Void. He felt rather than saw Harry surreptitiously draw his own wand out of his sleeve.

"I think now we can safely ascertain that Mr. Sirius Canis Black is _not _dead," Moira said sharply.

"How do you know it's the real Black?" a voice called out from the gallery. Mad-Eye Moody.

Remus stood in his spot. "Sirius," he said, "what form did James Potter's Patronus take?"

"It was a lion," Sirius replied promptly. "Mine was a dragon and yours was an albatross."

Remus turned to Moira. "This is the real Sirius Black, Judge Meadowes," he said.

Moira nodded. "Acknowledged," he said, and Remus sat down.

Sirius still felt very exposed. Aemilia's wand was on the desk in front of her. If he could just grab it…

"The question now seems to be," Moira announced, "what do we do with him?"

Remus stood again. "I will vouch for his innocence."

Aemilia stood as well. "So will I."

"And I." Dumbledore.

People were rising all round the courtroom - Sirius saw Tonks, Moody and Kingsley rise together in the topmost row of the gallery, and Moody tipped him a wink with his magical eye. Hermione, Ron and Ginny rose where they sat together, beaming wildly.

Moira's gavel smacked the table again. "ORDER!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Sirius saw Cornelius Fudge's hand groping for something in his pocket.

"Professor Dumbledore," Moira said, "would you please tell us exactly _why_ you vouch for Sirius Black's innocence?"

Dumbledore began to tell the story, but Sirius was only half-listening. "Get ready to dodge, Harry," he said out of the corner of his mouth, and saw his godson nod, ever so slightly.

Sirius kept his eyes fixed on Cornelius Fudge. He edged, clandestinely as he could, towards the desk Remus and Aemilia sat at. Fudge's hand was coming out his pocket now, and in it he held his -

"AVADA KE-"

"STUPEFY!"

Fudge had been fast, but Sirius was faster. In one seamless movement, he leapt for Aemilia's wand, Stunned Fudge and rolled, coming up in a duelling stance. The green light died around Fudge's wand. Harry, as Sirius had told him to, had dodged with his reflexes born of Quidditch and was now some three metres away, wand at the ready.

For the third time, Moira's gavel smacked the table. "ORDER!"

Sirius braced himself, waiting for the inevitable, but instead Moira pointed her wand at Fudge. "_Enervate!_"

Fudge scrambled to his feet. "That man!" he shrieked, pointing at Sirius. "That man is a criminal!"

"That is exactly what we are trying to ascertain, Mr. Fudge," Moira said coldly, "and you have broken the Anti-Violence Restrictions of the Courtroom by attempting to put an Unforgivable Curse on Mr. Black! _Constringere!_"

Thin cords shot from the end of Moira's wand and bound Fudge to his chair. He struggled, but in vain. Out of the corner of his eye, Sirius saw Remus and Aemilia share a wry smile.

"Professor Dumbledore," Moira said, "please continue."

But Dumbledore never got a chance to continue, because at that moment there was an almighty boom! and the whole room shook violently. All the candles went out, leaving the place in darkness.

Sirius heard cries of 'Dark magic!' and 'Wights!' and 'Catch Black!' but he barely registered them. He knew what that sound meant. "REGINA!" he yelled, transformed, and tore out of the courtroom.

*

There seemed to be a veritable hurricane going on in the Death Chamber when Sirius entered it in his canine form, and the epicentre was the veil.

He transformed back. "REGINA!" he yelled.

There was screaming from behind the veil, the screaming of dozens, hundreds. The veil was no longer merely fluttering - it seemed to be caught in a gale, black cloth snapping and cracking in the wind.

"REGINA!" he yelled again.

He heard footsteps behind him and looked over his shoulder as Remus, Aemilia and Severus came tearing into the room. "REMUS!" he shouted. "REMUS, HELP ME!"

"HOW?" Remus yelled back.

"GRAB MY FEET - I'm GOING TO TRY AND PULL HER OUT! THE PLACE IS COLLAPSING!"

With that, Sirius dived for the veil, Remus and, surprisingly, Severus in hot pursuit, and stuck his head through.

*

The walls were cracking and splintering as Sirius looked down from above. Outside, Remus had hold of one of his legs and Severus the other. The people were screaming, huddled together in groups, as the place began to collapse around them. "REGINA!" he yelled.

She looked up. "SIRIUS!"

"YOU HAVE MY WAND - MAGIC YOURSELF OUT!"

"NO! I WON'T LEAVE THEM!"

"REGGIE, YOU NEED TO SAVE YOURSELF!"

"I WON'T!"

There was a massive tearing sound as one of the walls ripped in two. An awful, eerie blackness rolled in like mist, and within it Sirius could see terrible creatures, marching, marching, advancing. 

Wights. 

__

They want food, he thought desperately. As he watched, a wight he recognised as the Direach caught up Janus Snape and tore him in two. "REGINA!"

A wight was advancing on her. It had no fingers, merely talons, and when it opened its mouth, Sirius saw teeth the size of Beater bats, sharp and deadly. It wore an odd three-cornered hat. _Cearb the Killing One,_ he thought in terror. _A lord of wights - and one of the most unseelie! _And, as he watched, Regina bowed her head and waited for death, serene and peaceful.

He did the only thing he could think of. He raised Aemilia's wand. "_Accio Regina!"_

Cearb lunged at her as she soared suddenly upwards, missing her legs by inches. Sirius grabbed her hand desperately. "REMUS!" he yelled. "REMUS, PULL ME BACK!"

He felt something tugging at his legs and he was pulled backwards. He kept a tight hold on Regina's hand…

And then, suddenly, it was over. He was lying on the floor of the Death Chamber with Regina Lupin in his arms and the veil was terribly, ominously, still.

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	47. To Prevent Human Misery

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

I've had some wonderful comments on the story thus far - for these, I thank you! And I hope I can get more wonderful comments as the story goes on…

…and there will be lots more cliffhangers, fear not!

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Remus could barely breathe. "Regina!" he whispered. _Sweet Merlin,_ he thought.

She was lying on the floor, and he could see blood trickling from her temple, but she looked up. "R-Remus?"

In two strides he was beside her, and he lifted her off the ground as effortlessly as if she were a feather. "Reggie!" he wept into her hair. "Oh, Reggie, I've missed you so much!"

Her arms snaked up around his neck and she held him tightly. "I've never stopped thinking about you," she sobbed. "Never, never!"

There was still blood running from her temple. Remus looked at Dumbledore. "Professor…"

Dumbledore smiled and pointed his wand at Regina. "_Sanationis!_"

Regina gazed up at her brother, her wounds healed. "Remus…"

"We had better get out of here," Sirius said. He had scrambled to his feet without Remus noticing and Aemilia was supporting him. He was weak and shaking, but alive. He cast an anxious eye on the veil. "I don't trust it. There were wights… Cearb…"

Remus carrying Regina, Aemilia supporting Sirius, Severus and Dumbledore left the room post-haste. Severus pointed his wand at the door. "_Colloportus Totalus!_"

And the Death Chamber was sealed forever.

*

There were gasps and shrieks as they re-entered the courtroom. High in the gallery above, Remus saw Helena's eyes roll back in her head and she fainted. Bill Weasley caught her and he and his brother Charlie fanned her, trying to waken her.

Cornelius Fudge was still tied to his chair. Kingsley Shacklebolt had vaulted the balcony and had his wand pointed at the Minister. Tonks was with the Dursley family, alternately trying to calm Petunia down and brandishing her wand at Vernon. Ron, Hermione and Ginny had come down to the floor of the courtroom too and stood round Harry, who was chalk-white and shaking. He was sitting on the edge of Remus and Aemilia's desk and Ginny was whispering urgently to him, clearly trying to calm him down. Moody was standing nearby, his normal eye fixed on them, his magical eye roving for any potential dangers. The Wizengamot were still in their seats, but most of them looked scared and Lakshmi Patil had fainted.

Moira Meadowes, however, was hale and hearty as ever, and the instant Remus, Regina, Sirius, Aemilia, Severus and Dumbledore came back in the door, she slammed her gavel down on the bench. "ORDER!"

"Can you stand?" Remus asked Regina under his breath.

"Yes," she whispered back. Remus gently set her on her feet, but continued to support her with his arm. 

"Explain," Moira ordered shortly.

Dumbledore cast eyes over the party. "Sit down, all of you," he said gently. "I shall deal with this." He waved his wand and an enormous squashy chintz sofa appeared.

Remus helped Regina to the sofa and then Sirius before pulling up a chair from the desk for Aemilia. Severus had disappeared, and Remus saw him out of the corner of his eye, making his way up to where Helena Seraphim lay, unconscious, in the gallery. 

"Harry," he whispered. "Harry, come and sit down."

Remus pulled his wand out of his sleeve and drew up another sofa - a red velvet one like one he remembered from Godric's Hollow before it was destroyed. Harry was still chalk-white and looked dazed so Ginny had to lead him by the elbow to get him to sit down. "Listen to me, Harry," Remus heard her whisper to him. "Sirius is back. He's alive. And he's not going to go again any time soon. Look, he's just over there, sitting on the sofa…"

Remus gestured to Ron and Hermione. "Come and sit down, you two," he told them gently. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I'm still not entirely sure that we haven't," Hermione muttered, glancing to where Sirius and Regina sat.

Dumbledore was trying to convince the Wizengamot of Sirius's innocence, Remus realised, as he pulled up the other chair from the desk and sat down himself. He was explaining what had happened in the Shrieking Shack, and the Wizengamot were listening raptly. 

Regina was looking strangely at Sirius. "You spent twelve years in Azkaban?" she asked softly.

Sirius looked away. "Yes," he replied.

"Why?"

"He was framed," Remus interjected, knowing that Sirius could not tell the story without blaming himself for Lily and James's deaths. "You remember Peter Pettigrew?"

"Of course."

"He went over to the other side," Remus said quietly. "He spied for them. We knew there was a spy among us, but not who. Then our spy came back with news that Voldemort intended to go after Lily and James. Dumbledore told them the best chance would be the Fidelius Charm, and they planned to use Sirius as their Secret-Keeper - the obvious choice, of course. So Sirius persuaded them to use Peter instead - a very unlikely choice, given how weak and talentless we all knew him to be - without telling anybody. But Peter betrayed Lily and James, and they died… and everyone thought Sirius had betrayed them because he was the Secret-Keeper. And so he was thrown in Azkaban without a trial."

Regina looked aghast. "Without - a trial?"

Sirius nodded grimly. "Yes. I was there twelve years." His eyes took on that dead quality they always did when he thought about his time in Azkaban. "It was awful."

"But - how did you escape?"

"I'm an Animagus," Sirius replied. "A dog. Illegal, of course, but they didn't know about it. Dog emotions are simpler, and the Dementors couldn't feed off them so well. I'd turn into a dog when they came by and just made sure I was human when human jailors came through. Then, one day, Fudge came through and gave me the paper. And there, sitting on Ron Weasley's shoulder - he's the tall, redheaded one over there - was a rat. Peter was an Animagus too, you see, and I recognised him. He was going to be at Hogwarts, where Harry was. I knew I had to get out. I couldn't let Peter near Harry - not when he'd good as killed Lily and James. So I made a desperate plan… and it worked. I slipped past the Dementors as a dog and swam to the mainland. And then, slowly, I made my way to Hogwarts, where I met up with Harry and his friends - and Remus, who was a professor - near the end of the year. We caught Peter and we were going to kill him, but Harry wouldn't let us. He showed mercy." He sighed as he looked over at his godson. "Just like his father, that one. And… well, it's a long story, but Peter got away. Hence me still being a mad murderer at large."

Regina's eyes were filled with tears. "Oh Sirius," she whispered. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Sirius gazed at her. "I…"

"You don't have to answer that," Regina told him quietly, putting a finger against his lips. "I understand."

Aemilia nudged Remus. "They're about to take a vote on Sirius's innocence!" she hissed.

The courtroom fell completely silent as the Wizengamot scribbled on their secret ballot parchments. Remus could feel blood thundering in his ears.

Moira stood and Remus caught his breath. "The results have been recorded," she announced. "By thirty-five to thirteen, the Wizengamot declare that Mr. Sirius Canis Black of London is innocent of all charges laid against him!"

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	48. The Roar Of Many Waters

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

Now, for the first time, given as he's back in the land of the living, Sirius gets a chapter instead of an interlude all to himself…

There are some things about Sirius and Regina's child revealed in this chapter… but fear not - the child _is_ a character from canon, even if it doesn't sound like it at this point…

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__

Innocent…

That wonderful word rang round Sirius's head like a church bell. Innocent. Innocent. Free.

He felt himself shaking - shaking with joy, shaking with tears, shaking with excitement. "I'm free!" he murmured to himself more than anyone. "I'm free!"

He stood. His legs were trembling but he didn't care. He looked Moira Meadowes straight in the eye. "Thankyou," he said, quietly at first. "Thankyou. THANKYOU!"

Harry got up and came over to him. Colour had flooded back into his face and his green eyes were alive and dancing. He stuck his hand out. "Congratulations, Sirius," he said, grinning hugely.

Sirius grasped Harry's hand and shook it firmly before pulling the boy into a manly hug. "Thanks, Harry," he replied. "Thanks."

A pandemonium of noise had broken out around the courtroom. Moira slammed her gavel down. "Court adjourned!" she called, and there were huge cheers.

Sirius felt himself being hoisted up and he was carried out of the hall on everyone's shoulders. Behind the mob, he saw Regina get up slowly. Aemilia grinned at her, took her arm, and together, they followed.

"See you at Hogwarts, Reggie!" he yelled out, and saw her wave back, smiling.

He barely remembered Flooing out of the Ministry into Hogwarts, of going down to the Great Hall and sitting at the teacher's table as a huge impromptu feast was held to celebrate.

All that mattered was that he, Sirius Black, was alive, in love and _free._

*

"Harry," Sirius said quietly, beckoning his godson over. "Harry, I need to talk to you."

He saw mild bewilderment in the green eyes behind the glasses, but Harry followed him over to a quiet corner of Gryffindor common room. "All right."

They sat down on a threadbare red sofa. "I… have something to tell you," Sirius said heavily. "It's… not bad, but I thought you should know." He took a deep breath. "How much of what happened when I was behind the veil do you know?"

Harry blinked. "I know that you fell through when we were fighting in the Department of Mysteries. Then you met Miss Lupin -" he nodded with his head to where Regina sat with Remus beside the fire, "- and she tried some magic to get you out, but when she got back, you were gone. And then you appeared in the middle of the courtroom."

Sirius took a deep breath. "Okay, Harry," he said. "This is what happened after I disappeared from the Void, okay?"

"Okay."

"After Regina did her magic, and she disappeared - I suppose it was temporarily - I put my hand against the wall. That place wasn't really what wizards know as the Void, Harry. That's an awful place, populated with unseelie wights - powerfully magic creatures that are also powerfully horrid. It was as if part of the Void had collapsed on itself and made a kind of bubble. But when I fell through - I still carried magic with me, and the place began to fall apart. So when I leaned on the wall, I fell through a sort of crack and landed somewhere totally different."

Harry's eyes were wide. "Like - another world?"

"Kind of," Sirius answered. "I ended up in a sort of forest. At first I didn't know where I was, but then I realised." He took another deep breath. "Do you know where you lived before you were taken to the Dursleys?"

"What, with my mum and dad?"

"Yes."

Harry's brow furrowed. "I - never really thought about it."

Sirius smiled slightly. "You and your parents lived in a little cottage just outside a village called Godric's Hollow. It was a gorgeous little place - it had a thatched roof, and three chimneys, and climbing roses and honeysuckle on the walls. It also happened to be near a rather large wood."

Harry's eyes widened even further. "You went there?"

"It was like I was there… but it was a better version of there," Sirius replied slowly. "It was… more real than the real thing, if that makes sense." _Oh Lily, James,_ he thought. "The last time I was at Godric's Hollow… well, suffice to say it was in a bit of a state. When Voldemort attacked -" he closed his eyes, reliving the horrible night, "- not much was left, Harry. I never wanted to go there again. But when I fell through the wall of the Void-bubble and realised where I was… I had to go back."

Harry nodded vehemently. "And?"

"And it was like Voldemort had never been there," Sirius said, smiling sadly. "It was beautiful, Harry. It was like nothing had ever changed. I stood there looking at it for a while, and then I went to the door and knocked. The knocker on their door, Harry -" he allowed himself a mischievous smile, "- was a stag with these massive antlers. I gave it to James for his twenty-first."

Harry grinned, but didn't say anything.

"And…" Sirius looked dreamily into space. "And… the door opened, and your mum was standing there, Harry. She told me to come in, and there was your dad."

"My mum and dad?" Harry breathed.

"I had fallen through into the afterlife, Harry."

"But - how did you get back?"

"Have you heard of the Arachniae?"

Harry nodded. "Yes. Professor Seraphim - our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher - is one, and she told me about them the other night. They had books about life and death - or they did, till they were destroyed."

Sirius bowed his head. He had heard of the destruction of the Arachniae earlier in the day.

"And she told me that Miss Lupin had been one, and that my mum was one," Harry finished.

Sirius nodded. "That she was, Harry, and a very good one. She sent me back using a complicated spell - I'll explain it to you some other time. But… your parents gave me a message for you."

"A - message? For me?"

"Your dad told me to say that he's very proud of you and that you're the kind of lad he wishes he could have been. And he told me to tell you that he misses you and he loves you very much." 

Harry's eyes were misty with tears. "And my mum?"

"She told me to say that she loves you and that she wishes she could be with you and that she and your dad are always watching, no matter what. She said that you're not to play Quidditch in wet socks because you'll catch a cold and she doesn't want you to be sick or hurting ever and she's so sorry that you are. And she said -" Sirius gulped, "- that when the time finally comes for you to die, that she and your dad are waiting for you."

Both he and Harry were crying in earnest now. Harry clutched at him like a lifeline. "Sirius," he sobbed. "Sirius… thankyou."

He pulled back and looked his godson in the eye. "Don't mention it," he said hoarsely.

*

The clock struck one. Ron yawned. "I'm off to bed," he announced.

"What, are you just going to leave Hermione there?" Ginny asked him. She was curled up like a cat on a chair by the fire.

"Well, I can't very well take her up the stairs, can I?" Ron retorted.

"Why not?"

"Last term," Harry interjected, "Ron tried to go up into the girls' dormitory to get Hermione, and it backfired."

"Just a bit," Ron grumbled.

Ginny giggled. "What happened?"

"The stairs turned into a helter-skelter, didn't they?"

Ron looked oddly at Sirius. "How did you know that?"

"James," Sirius replied promptly. "In our seventh year, he used to always try to get up there to see Lily."

"Did he ever manage it?" Harry asked curiously.

Sirius grinned. "Yes, he did."

"How?" Ginny asked.

Sirius yawned. "Tap the fourth brick up from the floor, three from the left, and say _Dignationis._"

"How'd he figure that out?" Ron asked curiously.

Sirius grinned. "If I were to tell you, we'd be here till five in the morning. Now carry Hermione up to bed before she breaks her neck." Hermione's head was hanging off the chair at a very odd angle.

"If she wakes up," Ron told Sirius warningly, hoisting Hermione into his arms, "I'm blaming _you._"

"Feel free," Sirius replied, grinning mischievously.

"Night, Sirius," Harry said, yawning. 

"Night, Harry."

"Night, Remus. Night, Miss Lupin."

"Goodnight, Harry," Regina replied.

"See you tomorrow," Remus added.

Harry made his way up the boy's staircase, while Ginny trailed after Ron and Hermione up the girls'. Ron came down again a minute later and bid them all goodnight before going up the boy's staircase himself.

Remus stood. "I'd better go and see how Aemilia is doing," he said. "I'll bet she's planning on pulling an all-nighter, but I know what she's like when she doesn't sleep."

"What is she doing?" Sirius asked curiously.

"Helping Dumbledore devise a case to get Fudge removed from office," Remus answered. "They better bloody win, too. I can't believe Fudge tried to kill you today, Sirius."

Sirius shrugged. "It comes with the escaped criminal gig, I'm afraid."

Remus leaned down and kissed his sister's temple. "See you in the morning, Reggie," he said softly. "Night, Padfoot."

"Night, Moony."

"Goodnight, Remus."

The portrait closed behind Remus and Sirius looked at Regina. He knew what he had to ask her about. "Reggie?"

"Yes?"

He took a deep breath. "When… when I was with Lily and James, in the afterlife," he said slowly, "they told me… something."

Regina's eyes pierced his. "They told you about our child," she said simply.

Sirius nodded. He couldn't think of any words.

"I wanted to tell you," Regina said softly. "It was just… with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and all that… I didn't want to give you a weak spot. Somewhere where You-Know-Who could hit you and wound you so badly that you wouldn't get up again."

"I understand, Reggie," Sirius said quietly. "But… I don't know anything about our child. Could you… tell me a little?"

Regina smiled sadly, and her eyes grew dreamy as she remembered. "She was a beautiful little girl," she told him softly. "She was born in March of 1980. She had your eyes. She was just beginning to sit when… my mother took us both."

"What happened to her?"

Regina shook her head. "I don't know," she said softly. "When my mother took us… she put me under the Imperius curse. One minute I had my little girl, the next… my mother took her, tied me to a chair, Stunned me and left. When she came back… my little girl was gone."

Tears were falling down Regina's cheeks and Sirius could feel them behind his own eyes too. "What was her name?" he asked her.

Regina smiled through her tears. "Her name was Psyche," she answered. 

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Be not alarmed, my friends… I promise you that Psyche Lupin _is_ a character from canon (with a different name, of course)… all shall be revealed… at some point!


	49. A Ripple With No End

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

Don't worry… the true identity of Psyche Lupin will be revealed… but not in this chapter, because this is a Severus chapter…

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This is the second time I've seen you committed to the Hospital Wing in the two weeks I've known you, and I don't like it, Severus thought.

Helena looked fragile as a porcelain doll where she lay, golden hair luminous against the stark white of the hospital sheets. "She'll be quite all right soon, Severus," Madam Pomfrey had told him, bustling around the Hospital Wing looking for some kind of medical potion. "She fainted, that's all."

Severus knew that Regina was just upstairs, sitting in Gryffindor Tower. He knew that, two weeks ago, before he had gone to Telae Domus, he would have been there with her in a heartbeat. Even if it were just to look at her, to gaze upon her radiant face. _Regina,_ he thought with a familiar pang. _Oh, lady, lady, lady._

And yet… the old wound seemed to be closed over tonight. Regina was just upstairs… and yet here he was, sitting beside Helena Seraphim.

__

Nothing has changed, he told himself vehemently. _Nothing at all._

But something _had_ changed, and Severus knew it. 

Gently, he reached out and brushed a golden hair off Helena's face. She stirred slightly but did not wake. "Oh Helena," he murmured, "what have you done to me?"

"Get your hands off her, Snape."

Severus stood. "Weasley," he acknowledged coldly.

Bill Weasley strode forward, and his face was white with anger. "You take your dirty hands and your greasy face away from Helena," he grated.

Severus folded his arms on his chest. "I rather think that is for Helena to decide," he answered coldly. He felt pure hatred burning in his soul for Bill Weasley. _The Sirius Black of the new generation,_ a snide little voice commented in his mind. _Stealing your women._

"I doubt anyone's told you, Snape," Bill hissed, "but Helena and I are going to get married."

Severus kept his face carefully neutral. At all costs, he did not want Bill to discover that he'd planted an Espionage Insect in Helena's rooms. "I think you'll find that it's my child she's carrying," he retorted.

Bill snorted. "I'll look after your child, don't you worry, Snape. I'll be a father to it like you never could have been. I'll give it my name. Not out of any charity to _you_ -" he spat vehemently, "- but because it's Helena's child and I love her." His blue eyes, normally so mild, were fixed with pure loathing on Severus's face. "I doubt you even know what love is."

Severus felt like he'd been slugged in the stomach but refused to let it show. _If you can lie to the Dark Lord, you can stand up to Bill Weasley,_ he told himself fiercely. "Do not presume to read my mind, Weasley."

"And do not presume to touch my fiancée, Snape!"

"Please…"

Both Bill and Severus turned to Helena. "Helena?" Bill said urgently, dropping his knees beside her bed. "Helena, are you all right? Do you want me to get Madam Pomfrey?"

Helena sat up, rubbing her head. "I'm quite all right, Bill," she said, smiling at him. Severus felt horribly jealous. "I just had a bit of a shock, that's all. One does not expect people who have been dead for sixteen years to suddenly reappear." She ran a hand through her golden hair, pushing it back from her face. "Could you fetch Professor Dumbledore for me, please?"

"Snape, fetch Dumbledore," Bill growled.

"No, Bill," Helena told him gently. "You go. I need a moment with Severus."

"But -"

"Bill," Helena said softly, cupping his face with her hands, "please."

After a short pause, Bill nodded. "All right," he murmured, kissing her temple. "Snape, you stay _away!_"

"He will," Helena interjected smoothly, before Severus had a chance to speak. "Please, go."

Bill nodded and left the ward - although not after casting a glance of extreme dislike at Severus. Severus's lip curled involuntarily.

"Severus?"

"Yes?"

"Please, sit down."

He sat. "Yes?"

Helena smiled gently at him. "Your Regina. She came back."

Severus snorted. "And so did Black."

"Have you spoken to her?"

"No."

"Where is she now?"

"In Gryffindor Tower. With Black and Lupin and Potter's mob of juvenile miscreants."

"Why have you not gone to her?"

"Because…" Severus did not know how to answer the question. "Because you were unconscious," he said lamely. "I had to stay with you till you woke."

"The Severus Snape I met at Midsummer would have gone to her, hang Helena Seraphim."

"Well, perhaps Severus Snape has changed."

"In two weeks?"

"Anything is possible."

Helena sighed. "I suppose Bill told you?"

"About you getting married? Yes. Congratulations."

"You don't mean that."

"You don't know that."

Helena took one of his hands in both of hers. "Severus," she said, "you are a wonderful man."

Severus didn't know what to say. He was not used to being complimented. He looked at her for a moment. "Do you love him?"

"What?"

"Weasley. Do you love him?"

Helena smiled. "I do. Very much."

Severus smiled back, a genuine smile. "Then I wish you all the happiness in the world," he said, and meant it.

"Thankyou," Helena replied, and they sat, together, in companionable silence.

Outside the window, the moon waned.

*

"Miss Seraphim?"

Helena looked up and Severus stood. "Professor Dumbledore," Helena acknowledged.

"Mr. Weasley tells me that you wished to see me," Dumbledore said, coming in and sitting down. Bill was behind him.

"I do want to speak to you," Helena said. She took a deep breath. "Professor, I do not think it will be possible for me to teach at Hogwarts after all."

If she had expected Dumbledore to be shocked, Severus reflected, she was sadly mistaken. Dumbledore merely smiled. "I had expected as much, my dear. Do not trouble yourself."

"Thankyou," Helena replied softly. "Perhaps in the future, if the position becomes vacant, I will teach for you." She took Bill's hand. "But now I have a wedding to plan and a baby on the way, as well as an entire religious order to re-establish, which will involve pilgrimages to the seelie wight sites - though I hold hopes that Miss Lupin might help me there. I hope you are not much upset."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "It is perfectly all right, Helena. I already have a replacement in mind - though I will not divulge that just yet. And allow me to tell you that for as long as you need, and at any time in the future, Hogwarts will hold a place for you."

Silent tears of gratitude snaked their way down Helena's face. "Thankyou," she whispered.

Dumbledore laid a gnarled hand on her head. "You deserve all the happiness you can get, my dear," he told her, "and one day, you will achieve it."

Severus almost fancied he saw the old man wink at him.

_________________

REVIEW!


	50. A Cobweb That Caught A Fly

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

And the child is…

…not revealed in this chapter!

However, I promise you that sometime in the next five days, the identity of Psyche Lupin will be known!

Another note on Psyche - she is Psyche Lupin not Psyche Black because Sirius and Regina were not - and never have been - married. Therefore she has her mother's name not her father's.

Now that Sirius Black is back in the real world, he can have chapters to himself instead of just interludes. Today is a Remus chapter, but tomorrow, you have an Aemilia interlude to look forward to!

_____________________

She was, of course, in the library.

Remus leaned against the doorjamb and watched her for a moment. She was writing furiously, her quill making angry scratching sounds as she scribbled, flicked pages in books, then flicked more. She had pulled her hair out of her face and twisted it into a knot on the back of her head. She had stuck her wand through it to keep it in place.

"How did I know I'd find you here?" he asked gently.

Aemilia looked up and smiled as she saw him. "Hello, Remus," she said. "What's up?"

He pulled up a chair and sat down beside her. "I left Sirius and Reggie to talk," he replied. "And I want to make sure you get some sleep."

"I'll get sleep," Aemilia answered distractedly, scribbling notes feverishly. "But this has to get done. If my father doesn't get removed from office tomorrow, we have to wait a year before we can try to impeach him again. That's the law."

"Where is your father?"

"McGonagall was at the hearing today and Dumbledore conned her into coming back to Hogwarts for a while. She's guarding my father in her office. Dumbledore's up there now too, telling my father that he's got to be in court tomorrow."

"He'll be defending himself?"

Aemilia grinned. "Sure will. But _he _doesn't get access to the library tonight, seeing as he is an accused criminal."

Remus raised his eyebrows. "So he's an accused criminal?"

"Yes," Aemilia replied, flipping pages in a monstrously large book called _The Colossal Compendium Of Wizarding Law._ "Ministers can be impeached if they commit a crime worthy of a prison sentence. Accused murder is one. Cruelty to non-humans is another."

"Cruelty to non-humans?"

Aemilia picked up a magazine. "Read this," she told him, eyes still fixed on the book.

Remus flicked through it. "This is that edition of _The Quibbler_ that he submitted as evidence today!"

"Yes it is," Aemilia answered, pushing a stray strand of black hair back behind her ear. "And there is more truth to it than you think."

"The goblin thing?"

"Yes. While he may not go as far as having them cooked in pies, the Gringotts have been complaining for ages that he's been withholding their pay."

Remus was aghast. "He hasn't been paying the Gringotts goblins?"

"He's been demanding extra privileges and things in exchange for their pay. In short, it's fraud."

"How did you know?"

"Asked 'em," Aemilia replied promptly. "You know that goblin we had in today?"

"Slipnog?"

"Yes. I pulled him aside in the chaos and asked him about it. My father's quip about it when he was interrogating Luna Lovegood reminded me. He confirmed all my suspicions."

"But where did you get the suspicions from to start with?"

"There are distinct advantages to being a Fudge," Aemilia answered. "For one - before you get kicked out of the house and disowned - you do notice some things. Like the stream of angry goblins at the back door."

Remus snorted. "That's -"

"- ludicrous? I know." Aemilia sighed. "My father is ludicrous."

Remus smiled. "How much have you got to go?"

"Of this impeachment case? Not much. You know, for being unemployed, I've got an awful lot of work these days."

"Of course you do, _Corporal._"

Aemilia grinned. "That's right, I'm _Corporal_ Fudge now, aren't I? I must remember to get them to change my title in the Registry of Lawyers."

"There's a Registry of Lawyers?"

"Well, they do have to keep track of us somehow," Aemilia answered. "Can't have unqualified people doing law work now, can we?"

Remus looked at her suspiciously. "Just how long has there been a Registry of Lawyers?"

"Since August last year. Just after Harry Potter's hearing. In which he was defended by someone who is now an unregistered lawyer."

"But Dumbledore passed the Bar Examination!"

"Ah, but he passed it in 1876, I believe," Aemilia answered. "It was the opinion of one Cornelius Fudge, who created the Registry of Lawyers, that only lawyers qualified after 1900 could be _registered_ lawyers, and registered lawyers are the only ones allowed in courts these days." Aemilia allowed herself a grin. "Unfortunately, he forgot to make provisions to scrap registered lawyers off the Registry. Hence Entry #323 still being one Aemilia Nasica Fudge."

Remus quirked an eyebrow. "Just why is your middle name Nasica, anyway?"

Aemilia sighed. "The same reason my first name is Aemilia. My father's dreadfully proud of his Scipio heritage."

"Scipio?"

"Roman family - great generals. Anyway, Cornelius was a favourite name with the family. There were about five Cornelius Scipios in a century, I think. And anyway, generally, all their women were either called Cornelia - obvious choice - or Aemilia, because the political faction the Scipio family belonged to was the Aemilian faction."

"So your father wasn't just being narcissistic when he named your sister Cornelia," Remus mused aloud.

Aemilia snorted. "Believe me, he probably was. That's why she's the older sister. The Scipio thing was just an excuse."

"Anyway - Nasica?"

Aemilia shrugged. "One of the other Scipios - a famous politician - was called Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica. My father liked the sound of the name, I guess. Scipio Nasica was called the best man in Rome when he was alive. Anyway, enough of my impromptu history lesson. I've got to get this done."

There was the sound of applause from the door. "Would you like a position as a History of Magic teacher, Aemilia?" Dumbledore asked.

Aemilia snorted. "I'm afraid I can't compete with Professor Binns on the soporific scale, Professor."

"That's quite all right, Aemilia," Dumbledore said mildly. "Now, I think you should listen to Mr. Lupin and get some sleep."

Aemilia was still scribbling feverishly. "I'm almost done, Professor," she answered. "I just have to work out the last bit of my closing statement."

"Professor," Remus asked Dumbledore curiously, "if Fudge is impeached… who are you going to appoint the new Minister for Magic?"

Dumbledore didn't appear to hear the question. He was reading over Aemilia's shoulder. "Your work is admirable, Aemilia," he told her, "and I hardly think you need to draft your closing statement a seventh time."

Aemilia sighed. "But I want it to be perfect!"

Dumbledore smiled gently at her. "It will be perfect," he said. "And the library will still be here in the morning if you want to check anything else. In the meantime, I suggest you follow Remus's admirable advice and go to bed."

"It will be even more perfect if you're awake," Remus told her.

She smiled wearily. "I suppose you're right." She took her wand out, causing her knot of hair to fall down, black tresses loose around her shoulders. "_Evanesco!_" The papers disappeared.

Remus got up and extended a hand to her. "Come on," he told her, and, hand-in-hand, they left the library.

*

"Tea?" Remus asked her when they were back in his rooms.

She laughed tiredly. "Don't give me caffeine, I'll be up till two in the morning."

Remus checked his watch. "It is two in the morning."

"All the more reason not to give me caffeine, then." Her eyes were closed and Remus took advantage of her vulnerable state just to stare at her. _Sweet Merlin, she's beautiful,_ he thought.

She opened one eye. "I'm sleeping on your couch tonight, Remus," she told him. "I really couldn't be bothered to walk all the way to my own room."

"You can have my bed, if you like."

Aemilia yawned. "No, it's all - Remus! Put me down!"

In two strides, Remus had crossed the room and picked her up. He put her unceremoniously down on his bed. "You," he told her, grinning, "are going to let me be a gentleman. _I _shall sleep on the couch. _You_ shall sleep on the bed."

She grinned mischievously at him. "The bed's big enough for two."

He kissed her temple. "That's your tiredness talking."

"No, it's not."

Remus, who had turned away, turned back. "What?"

She was sitting up, suddenly lucid. "I mean it, Remus," she told him. "Come here." She patted the bed beside her.

Remus was slightly confused. "I'm not sure I understand."

She looked up at him, and he saw her eyes were full of tears. "Now that I'm part of the Order," she said sincerely, "I realised… just how ephemeral human life is. It's here… and it's gone. When I looked at Harry Potter today, I realised it." She was shaking slightly. "I don't want to have to go through this life without you, Remus. Either of us could be killed at any time. These are dark days. And… time's too short for wasting."

"Aemilia…"

"Don't talk," she whispered. "Just… be with me." She kissed him, her lips lingering, and then drew back. Her dark eyes met his. "Please?"

As he kissed her, as he laid her down on the soft pillows of his bed, Remus thought he understood very well indeed.

Outside the window, the moon set.

_________________

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	51. Interlude: To Take A Single Step

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: This is an Aemilia interlude!

_______________

"All rise for the Wizengamot!"

Aemilia stood at her desk - where, this time, she sat alone - as the fifty jurors filed in. Once again, Moira Meadowes was wearing the embroidered black robes that proclaimed her the judge. She took her seat between Dumbledore and Amelia Bones.

"Where is the accused?" Moira asked sharply.

"The accused is present, Judge Meadowes," a voice came from the back of the courtroom. Minerva McGonagall was frogmarching Cornelius Fudge in, his hands tied behind his back. Aemilia felt a surge of revulsion at the sight of him. She shared a meaningful look with Remus, who was sitting in the gallery, and kept herself calm. She contented herself with merely glaring at her father.

"Hearing regarding the impeachment of the Minister for Magic on the fifteenth of August," Moira announced, "into offences committed under the Restriction of Violence Among Wizards and Witches, the Legal Requirements regarding treatment of Beasts, Beings and Spirits and the Economic Charter of Wizards by Cornelius Oswald Fudge, resident at 10½ Downing Street, London.

"Judge: Moira Meadowes, appointed by the International Magical Office of Law. Jurors: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore…"

__

I'm glad Dumbledore isn't disqualifying himself from this case, Aemilia thought fervently, as Moira Meadowes continued to list the jurors. _I need him there._

"…Court Scribe, Penelope Odyssea Clearwater…"

Aemilia's head snapped up. _Where's Percy? _Remus mouthed to her from the gallery.

Imperceptibly, she shrugged. She didn't know. _Maybe it's his day off,_ she thought.

"Prosecuting Attorney: Aemilia Nasica Fudge, freelance attorney." Moira peered down her nose at Fudge. "And I understand the accused will be defending himself."

"That's correct," Minerva McGonagall snapped. She pulled out her wand and magically ungagged Fudge.

Aemilia noted with satisfaction the glare that Moira gave Fudge before continuing. "The charges against the accused are as follows:

"That he did knowingly, deliberately and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions, try to kill Mr. Sirius Canis Black in Courtroom Eleven of the Ministry of Magic using the Unforgivable Curse Avada Kedavra on the 14th of August at three minutes past eleven, which constitutes an offence under Clause 12b), Item xi) of the Restriction of Violence Among Wizards and Witches.

"That he did also knowingly, deliberately and in full awareness of illegality of his actions, withhold pay from various goblins of Gringotts over a period of three years, which constitutes an offence under Clause 23g), Item ii) of the Legal Requirements regarding treatment of Beasts, Beings and Spirits and also under Paragraph H of the Economic Charter of Wizards, 1234."

__

I'd like to see you wriggle out of this one, Aemilia thought grimly as Fudge's face grew white at the list of charges laid against him.

"You are Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister for Magic, resident at 10½ Downing Street, London?" Moira snapped at Fudge.

"Yes," Fudge answered.

Moira nodded to Aemilia. "Miss Fudge, you may interrogate the accused."

Feeling a sort of severe satisfaction, Aemilia stood.

*

"You attempted to kill Mr. Sirius Black in this courtroom yesterday?" Aemilia said flatly.

"He was an accused and dangerous criminal," Fudge replied haughtily.

"You have not answered the question."

"Yes, I did attempt to kill Mr. Sirius Black in this courtroom yesterday," Fudge snapped. "You forget that Ministry officials have been authorised to use Unforgivable curses against Black."

"You forget that your integrity as a Ministry official is under question today," Aemilia shot back. She turned to Moira. "Judge Meadowes, I would like to call on a member of the Wizengamot for testimony."

Moira nodded. "Proceed."

"Professor Dumbledore," Aemilia said, "in June of the year 1994, you became convinced of the innocence of Mr. Sirius Black, did you not?"

"I did."

"This was because -" Aemilia consulted a piece of paper today, "- you had reliable testimony that Peter Pettigrew, who was assumed dead, was, in fact, alive, and a loyal servant of the Dark Lord."

"That is correct."

"The particulars of this story were presented to the Wizengamot yesterday," Aemilia said to Moira, "so I shall not delve any deeper into it." She turned back to Dumbledore. "Professor Dumbledore, the same day you became convinced of the innocence of Mr. Sirius Black, you shared these convictions with Minister Fudge, did you not?"

"I did. I took Minister Fudge to meet with Mr. Black, and Mr. Black explained his story. While there was no physical proof, due to the escape of Peter Pettigrew, there was witness testimony from Mr. Harry Potter, Miss Hermione Granger and Mr. Ronald Weasley. Also, if the Minister had cared to wait till morning, there would have been testimony from Mr. Remus Lupin."

"What were the Minister's reactions to this?"

"He refused to believe in Mr. Black's innocence at all. It is my personal opinion," Dumbledore said pointedly, "that Minister Fudge often chooses to believe in what is easier for him, rather than what is true."

Aemilia smiled inwardly. She had hoped she could get Dumbledore to bring this up. "Why do you say this?"

"Despite compelling evidence that Voldemort -" there were gasps round the courtroom at the sound of the name, "- rose again in June of 1995, Minister Fudge refused to believe it," Dumbledore replied. "Mr. Fudge ensured that the Dementor's Kiss was performed on Mr. Bartemius Crouch, a Death Eater, ensuring that he could not give testimony. In addition, Mr. Harry Potter, who witnessed Voldemort's revival, was forced to suffer slander and substandard treatment from both the Ministry and the Daily Prophet - which I believe was at the Ministry's behest. It was not until he could no longer deny the truth - that is, when he saw Voldemort -" more gasps, "- with his own eyes in the Department of Mysteries in June this year, that Minister Fudge finally admitted to the wizarding world that there was danger. By refusing to admit this earlier, Minister Fudge endangered countless lives."

"Thankyou, Professor," Aemilia said.

"Minister Fudge now has the right of reply," Moira announced.

Fudge stood. "I have been accused here of no more than doubting the testimony of witnesses," he said. "If I am to believe everything I am told, well… then I may as well make _The Quibbler_ the new bible of truth for the Wizarding World!" He had clearly intended this to be a joke, but no-one laughed. "Professor Dumbledore has been undermining my authority for years," he blustered finally, and sat back down again.

Moira nodded to Aemilia. "Miss Fudge, you may continue."

"You are familiar, I believe, with the maxim 'innocent until proven guilty'?" Aemilia asked Fudge.

"Of course I am!"

"Mr. Sirius Black was never conclusively proven guilty of the crimes he was committed to Azkaban for," Aemilia said, "as the Ministry did not see fit to give him a trial. Yesterday, in this courtroom, Mr. Sirius Black was finally given his trial - during which you tried to kill him." She turned to Moira. "I put it to you that under this maxim - which is part of the Wizengamot Charter of Rights - Mr. Sirius Black was legally innocent even before this innocence was proven by the court. This means, then, that Minister Fudge is guilty of the attempted murder of an innocent man, which constitutes an offence under Clause 12b), Item xi) of the Restriction of Violence Among Wizards and Witches."

"Your case has been noted, Miss Fudge," Moira said. "I now declare the investigation into Minister Fudge's attempted murder of Mr. Sirius Canis Black in Courtroom Eleven of the Ministry of Magic using the Unforgivable Curse Avada Kedavra on the 14th of August at three minutes past eleven, which constitutes an offence under Clause 12b), Item xi) of the Restriction of Violence Among Wizards and Witches closed. Proceed onto the second charge, Miss Fudge."

"Certainly," Aemilia said. She smiled slightly as Remus winked at her from the gallery. She wished he could be down here with her today. She shuffled her notes. "I would like to call on someone to testify."

"Proceed, Miss Fudge."

"Slipnog the Goblin," Aemilia said clearly, and saw the goblin stand in the gallery. "Would you please proceed to the courtroom floor?"

There was a murmur of sound as the goblin made his way down the stairs. Aemilia clenched her fist and unclenched it. _You're doing great, Aemilia,_ she told herself. _Keep it up._

"Slipnog," she said when the goblin had reached the stand, "would you please detail for me the events of April the 1st, 1996."

"April the 1st was a Thursday," Slipnog replied, "and for centuries, goblins have been paid on Thursdays. However, when I went to collect my pay, I found not gold, but Minister Fudge waiting for me.

"He pulled me aside into an office. I had heard tell of situations like this from my brother goblins, but I believed it only to be a rumour."

"What did Minister Fudge say to you?" Aemilia asked. _I am so close,_ she thought, _that I can taste it._

"He told me," Slipnog said boldly, "that unless I siphoned off part of an account - I am not at liberty to say which account - to him, then I would receive no pay. However, this was not my last encounter with Minister Fudge."

"Tell me about your other encounter."

"On August the 10th, Minister Fudge threatened not only to cut off my pay, but the pay of my wife, if I did not agree to testify in the case yesterday."

"Thankyou, Slipnog," Aemilia said.

"Minister Fudge now has the right of reply," Moira announced.

"How can you believe a word a goblin says?" Fudge demanded. "It is an outrage! It has long been documented that goblins enjoy causing trouble for humans and that they serve their own interests. I put it to you that the goblin is an unreliable testifier."

"Miss Fudge, please close your case," Moira said.

"Minister Fudge tells us goblins are self-serving," Aemilia said, "and it seems clear he tried to manipulate this. I would like to add my own testimony to that of Slipnog. The Wizengamot will be aware that Minister Fudge is my father, albeit estranged. In the time I dwelt at 10½ Downing Street, we often had angry goblins visiting - particularly on Thursdays, which Slipnog informs us is 'pay-day.' I put it to you that Minister Fudge has been abusing his position as Minister for Magic. You will find records of all Minister Fudge's dealings with goblins exist in the Gringotts Register - which, as of August the 12th, I am no longer authorised to copy. I put it you also that Minister Fudge has been withholding pay from various goblins of Gringotts over a period of three years, which constitutes an offence under Clause 23g), Item ii) of the Legal Requirements regarding treatment of Beasts, Beings and Spirits. Under Paragraph H of the Economic Charter of Wizards, 1234, not only are Minister Fudge's actions criminal due to their exploitation of non-humans, but they also constitute fraud." She narrowed her eyes at her father and took a deep breath. "I rest my case."

Moira smacked her gavel on the bench. "Case closed. The Wizengamot will now vote."

Aemilia took her seat, breathing deeply. _I have to win this case,_ she told herself. _ have to._

Moira stood. Aemilia's fingernails dug into the palms of her hands. "The vote was unanimous," she announced. She turned to Fudge. "Minister Fudge, you have been proven guilty of offences under Clause 12b), Item xi) of the Restriction of Violence Among Wizards and Witches, Clause 23g), Item ii) of the Legal Requirements regarding treatment of Beasts, Beings and Spirits and Paragraph H of the Economic Charter of Wizards. I hearby remove you from your position as Minister for Magic and sentence you to a term of thirty months in Azkaban fortress."

*

Aemilia was shaking as her father was escorted from the courtroom. _I just impeached my own father,_ she thought. _Sweet Merlin._

Dumbledore stood in his place. "It is now the duty of the Wizengamot to elect a new Minister," he announced. One by one, the Wizengamot filed out of the courtroom to a council chamber behind the courtroom, leaving Aemilia alone on the courtroom floor.

She folded her hands on the desk in an effort to stop shaking. Her mind was reeling. She felt deliriously happy, but guilty at the same time. _I suppose that makes me well and truly a blood traitor,_ she thought. _Committing your own father to Azkaban has a tendency to do that._

She knew that any self-respecting daughter would be feeling cauldrons-full of remorse at a moment like this. Daughters weren't supposed to hate their fathers. She felt guilty, yes, but… _it's more like I'm feeling guilty about not being guilty, _she thought.

She caught Remus's eye and instantly felt better. _Daughters don't often hate their fathers,_ she thought, _but sons don't often hate their mothers. Blood is not an identity. Choice is that. And… I have made my choice._

*

When the Wizengamot came filing back in, it seemed to Aemilia that they had only been gone a moment. However, when she consulted her watch, she realised it had been over an hour.

Dumbledore stood. "A new Minister has been chosen," he announced. "Our new Minister is a Minister who will stand up for truth. He is a Minister who will stand up for what is right. He is a Minister who will stand up for the rights of others. He is a Minister who, just by existing, will show truly who is with us, and who is against us. I have known this man for a very long time, and I know that he will lead the Ministry admirably, in times of war, and in times of peace. He is a man of true integrity, even if he lacks real political experience."

__

Who is he talking about? Aemilia wondered. _I half-expected him to appoint Arthur Weasley, but I don't think that's who he's talking about._

"The new Minister for Magic, as appointed by the Wizengamot," Dumbledore announced, "is Mr. Remus Lupin."

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REVIEW!


	52. A Dealer In Hope

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

The child is…

…not revealed today.

But - I can promise you this: the identity of Psyche Lupin will be revealed…

…tomorrow!

I know my appointing Lupin as Minister of Magic is a little… unexpected, to say the least - but I do have a good reason. They will, most likely, get explained later in the fic, but it won't hurt the plot for me to explain them now.

Firstly - Remus would be great at it! Especially in _Order of the Phoenix_, Remus is constantly defusing potentially volatile situations (especially between Sirius and Molly.) That boy should be in the diplomatic corps!

Secondly (and probably more importantly!) - No-one knows who they can trust in the wizarding world at the moment now that Voldemort is back. This is pretty complex political theory, but the appointment of such a controversial Minister of Magic forces people to take a side. It is thus easier to tell who is on whose side… I mean, sure, people could lie and pretend that they have no problems with a lycanthropic Minister, but most of them have already shown their true colours in that respect - ie. The flood of letters to Hogwarts demanding Remus's resignation. It's a quite a harsh line to take - essentially, 'are you with us or against us?' - but it is a case of the end justifying the means… anyways, I will end my political theorising and leave you to read the fic!

______________

__

What!? Remus thought. _Me - Minister for Magic?_

Dumbledore smiled at him. "Mr. Lupin," he said clearly, "please come down to the courtroom floor."

He heard a voice in his mind, and he realised that Dumbledore was using Legilimency to communicate with him. _Remus,_ Dumbledore's mind-voice said, _this is for the Order._

It was that reminder that allowed Remus to move from where he sat, frozen in shock, and make his way down the stairs to the courtroom floor. His hands were shaking and he tried desperately to hold them still, but to no avail.

Dumbledore clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Please welcome your new Minister," he said simply.

For a moment, there was silence. Then Aemilia stood in her place and began, slowly to applaud.

It was as if a floodgate had burst open. Like yesterday, when they were vouching for Sirius's innocence, people began rising all over the hall and applauding. He saw Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny cheering wildly and stamping their feet. Sirius hugged Regina so fiercely he lifted her off the ground. Even Severus Snape was on his feet, applauding politely.

But there was only one woman he had eyes for. Aemilia's face was flushed and her dark eyes were sparkling with happiness as she applauded, beaming. _She is so beautiful,_ he thought. Memories of the previous night came into his head - of Aemilia, black hair framing her face, slender hands caressing his face, his chest, as he tumbled her back onto the pillows of his bed. 

And he knew what he had to do.

Dumbledore held up his hand and the courtroom fell silent. "Mr. Lupin," he said solemnly, "do you accept this appointment?"

Never, ever, in his wildest dreams, had Remus ever imagined being Minister for Magic. When he was at school, he had entertained hope of James or Lily or even Sirius being given the job and repealing anti-werewolf legislation and finding a way for him to get a job in a field he really loved. But he never believed he would be in a position to do it himself.

__

I have no political experience, he thought suddenly. _I have no clue what I'm supposed to do! I'll be rubbish!_

No you won't, came Dumbledore's mind-voice. He had maintained the connection, then. _I have seen your diplomatic enterprises in the Order. I have every faith in you, Remus._

It was the thought of the Order that finally prompted him to speak. He took Dumbledore's hand. "I accept," he said, and another round of cheering ensued.

Penelope Clearwater took down an enormous tome and handed it to Dumbledore. The Headmaster opened it to the first page and began to read.

"Do you, Remus Jonathan Lupin, declare that you will adhere to and support all just laws of the wizarding world?"

Remus saw Aemilia smiling at him and smiled back. "I do."

"Do you, Remus Jonathan Lupin, declare that you will treat all beasts, beings and spirits with fairness?"

If he meant nothing else he had ever said, he meant this. "I do."

"Do you, Remus Jonathan Lupin, swear to serve as a fair and just Minister for Magic, wielding power but not abusing it, leading in times of war, leading in times of peace?"

"I do."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at him over the top of his half-moon spectacles. "It is necessary that seven people vouch for you," he said. "Who do you nominate first to vouch for you?"

Remus did not hesitate. "My sister, Regina Lupin."

Dumbledore turned to where Regina stood by Sirius in the gallery. "Regina Elizabeth Lupin," he said ringingly, "will you vouch for this man as a fit and suitable Minister for Magic?"

Regina's eyes were sparkling, but whether with tears or sheer joy Remus could not tell. "I will."

"Mr. Lupin," Dumbledore asked him, "who do you nominate second to vouch for you?"

"My best friend," Remus answered, "Sirius Black."

"Sirius Canis Black, will you vouch for this man as a fit and suitable Minister for Magic?"

Sirius was beaming. He had his arm around Regina. "I will."

"Who do you nominate third to vouch for you?"

"The best student I ever taught Defence Against the Dark Arts to," Remus said, looking to where Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny sat in the gallery. "Harry Potter."

"Harry James Potter, will you vouch for this man as a fit and suitable Minister for Magic?"

He had never seen an expression of such happiness on Harry's face. "I will."

"Who do you nominate fourth to vouch for you?"

"My old mentor," Remus answered. "Minerva McGonagall."

"Minerva Cordatia McGonagall, will you vouch for this man as a fit and suitable Minister for Magic?"

"I will." The Transfiguration teacher looked like she was about to burst into tears.

"Who do you nominate fifth to vouch for you?"

Remus scanned the galleries - and fixed on a face. It was a risk… but he knew it would strengthen him. "My old colleague," he said. "Severus Snape."

__

Well done, Remus, Dumbledore said in his mind.

"Severus Janus Snape, will you vouch for this man as a fit and suitable Minister for Magic?"

Severus's cold eyes swept down on the courtroom, and for an awful moment Remus thought he would refuse. "I will," he answered, without smiling.

"Who do you nominate sixth to vouch for you?"

"You, Professor," Remus answered, "as the man who has provided me with the opportunity for education and employment."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "I, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, will vouch for you as a fit and suitable Minister for Magic."

"Thankyou, Professor," Remus answered.

"Now," Dumbledore said, "who do you nominate finally to vouch for you?"

There was no question in Remus's mind. "I nominate Aemilia Fudge," he said.

Aemilia was openly crying now, tears pouring down her face. "Aemilia Nasica Fudge," Dumbledore said, "will you vouch for this man as a fit and suitable Minister for Magic?"

Aemilia's shoulders shook with the force of her sobs. "I will," she choked.

"Seven people have vouched for this man's integrity," Dumbledore said ringingly. 

The courtroom fell silent. Penelope Clearwater handed Dumbledore a long box, which Dumbledore opened. Inside was a wand, but it was not made of wood. It was made of crystal, and it caught the light, refracting champagne rainbows. 

Dumbledore took the wand out of the box. "This is the wand of office," he announced. "By accepting this wand, you take upon your shoulders all the responsibilities of the office of Minister for Magic. Do you accept this?"

"I do."

"In times of peace, it is the duty of the Minister to lead the people. Do you accept this?"

"I do."

"And in times of war, it is equally the Minister's duty to lead the people. Do you accept this?"

__

Three times is magic, Remus thought.

"I do," he said, and took the wand.

"I hearby invest you, Remus Jonathan Lupin, with the office of Minister for Magic," Dumbledore said simply. He turned to the galleries. "Please welcome, once more, your new Minister."

If anything, the applause was even more raucous than before. Ron Weasley had turned pink with excitement. Harry had picked up Ginny and was swinging her round in circles. Hermione's hair was springing out of its ponytail as she jumped up and down. Regina had her face buried in Sirius's shirt as she wept for pure joy. Moody stamped furiously, his wooden leg making an odd clomping sound. Tonks's hair was rapidly changing colour. Minerva McGonagall was drying her eyes on the sleeve of her robes. Sirius's eyes met Remus's as he grinned fiercely. Dumbledore clapped him on the shoulder.

And then he saw Aemilia, and he knew, finally, that it was time.

He held up his hand as Dumbledore had before and the courtroom fell silent. "Miss Clearwater?" he said sharply.

"Yes, Minister Lupin?"

"I would you like you to note this as the first event of my career as Minister for Magic," he told her.

She nodded her head in acquiescence. "Certainly, Minister."

His eyes met Aemilia's and he crossed the floor to her. The entire courtroom was silent, as if they were all holding their breath.

Remus dropped to one knee. "Aemilia Nasica Fudge," he said simply, "will you marry me?

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REVIEW!


	53. Shipwrecked By The Laughter Of The Gods

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

Well, it's finally here… the identity of Psyche Lupin is revealed!

And tomorrow, for all you impatient Snape fans, is a Severus chapter…

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__

Sweet Merlin, Sirius thought, _that takes guts. _

"Never knew ol' Moony had it in him," he murmured to Regina.

Regina looked up at him and smiled. "I did," she answered. "He runs deep indeed."

Aemilia was gazing down on Remus with a mixture of shock and surprise. "Remus, I - I - I- don't know what to say…"

"Yes or no should do the trick," Remus answered. He had a mischievous glint in his eye._ How un-ministerial that is!_ Sirius thought jokingly.

Tears were pouring down Aemilia's face, but she was smiling. "Yes," she said, pulling Remus to his feet and throwing her arms around him. "Yes, yes!"

Sirius felt himself break out in a huge grin. Regina was crying again, her face buried in his shirt. He kissed the top of her head fondly and she looked up at him, her grey-green eyes swimming. "I'm so happy for him," she whispered. 

"Me too," Sirius answered, running his fingers down the side of her face. "Sweet Merlin, me too."

Regina turned back to look at her brother, now kissing his fiancée spectacularly in the middle of the courtroom. "No-one deserves this more than Remus," she said. "No-one."

"Once again, I completely agree, Reggie," Sirius said in reply.

Remus and Aemilia broke apart at last, and, for the third time that day, cheering filled the hall. Regina looked up at Sirius, happiness colouring her face. "You have never looked more beautiful," he whispered to her, and kissed her.

And he knew then, that he too had a sacred duty.

"Sirius!" Remus called up to the gallery when the applause had finally died down a bit. "How do you feel about reviving your position as best man?"

"I'm not sure, Remus!" Sirius called back. "I have a slightly… different idea." 

"Which is?"

He glanced at Regina, and saw all the affirmation he would ever need in her eyes. And he too dropped to his knees.

"Regina Lupin," he said ringingly, "will you marry me?"

*

For an instant, she was silent. Then, taking his hands, she drew him to his feet.

"By the Lady Arachne," she said, her eyes still full of joyous tears, "I swear I _will_ marry you, Sirius Black."

It took a lot to make Sirius Black cry, but he knew he was on the brink of crying now. "Oh Reggie," he choked, cupping her face in his hands. "Reggie!"

As he kissed her, one hand travelling down to her waist, he dimly heard more cheering in the courtroom around him, but seemed of no consequence.

It was just as he had dreamed, all those years ago. _I cannot see you for a year,_ Regina had told him. _It is a law among the Arachniae, dearest. But after that time…_

He had nodded. _I understand,_ he had whispered. _Just know… I love you, Reggie._

She had been crying then too. _Thankyou, Sirius,_ she had said softly through her tears. And then… then they had lost themselves in a microcosmic, fleeting paradise among the pillows in Regina's gatehouse.

__

Was it then, Sirius thought, _that Psyche was made?_

He had been determined from that moment on. _When the year is up,_ he had told himself, _I will ask her to marry me._

But by the time the year was up… Regina was gone. And a year later, Sirius Black was buried in Azkaban.

But now… they had both come back. It was fifteen years later and their daughter might be lost forever, but now… paradise was theirs once more.

__

It all came right in the end, Sirius thought, as he and Regina broke apart and he gazed as if starstruck into her eyes. _James and Lily. Remus and Aemilia. Me and Reggie_.

"Remus!" he called down over the balcony. "How do you feel about a double wedding?"

Remus had his arm around Aemilia and looked happier than Sirius had ever seen. "Sounds like a pretty good idea to me!"

"Harry!" Sirius called. "How do _you_ feel about being best man?"

There was an impish gleam in Harry's green eyes. "Oh, I don't know," he called back mischievously. Melodramatically, he threw himself on his knees. "Ginny, will _you _marry me?"

Sirius couldn't remember how long he laughed. _That boy is truly a Marauder,_ he thought.

*

"Sirius, Reggie," Remus said quietly at dinner that night. "Come to my rooms after dinner. I have to talk to you both."

*

"Knock, knock!" Sirius called merrily.

Remus opened the door. "Come in," he said. He looked tired.

"How's the Minister for Magic holding up in his first day of office?" Sirius asked jauntily as he and Regina came in. He pretended to be shocked at the state of Remus's rooms. "I see you haven't managed to hire a cleaner yet."

Remus managed a weak smile. "No," he said.

It was then that Sirius realised that something really was wrong. He put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Moony," he said seriously, "what's going on?"

Remus sighed. "Sit down, both of you," he said. "I have something to tell you, and I can't keep it to myself any longer."

Sirius and Regina sat on the threadbare old sofa near the fireplace. _Something must be seriously wrong for him to be looking like this today of all days,_ Sirius thought worriedly. _I mean… he's been appointed Minister of Magic! He and Aemilia are getting married… and so are me and Reggie. Something's up._

Remus was pacing. "Reggie," he said, "you have no idea what happened to your little girl, do you?"

Regina shook her head. "No," she replied gently.

There was a knock at Remus's door. "Come in!" Remus called.

The door swung open and Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny came in. "What's up, Professor?" Ron asked cheerfully. "Where's Aemilia?"

"Aemilia is signing her father's transfer documents to Azkaban," Remus answered. "She won't be back for a few hours. Sit down, all of you."

"Remus," Harry asked curiously, "what's wrong?"

Remus sighed and resumed pacing. "It's a very long story," he said shortly.

"Remus," Regina asked tentatively, "what does any of this have to do with Psyche?"

"Who's Psyche?" Hermione asked.

"Our daughter," Sirius replied.

Harry and Ron openly gaped. "You have a _daughter?_" Harry asked Sirius incredulously.

Sirius nodded. "Yes. She was born in March, the same year that you three were born." He indicated Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"What happened to her?" Ginny asked.

"My mother took her," Regina replied softly, her hand finding Sirius's. "I don't know what happened to her."

Sirius, however, was looking suspiciously at Remus. "Remus," he asked, "do you know what happened to Psyche?"

Remus looked at him for several seconds before sighing again. "Yes," he replied hoarsely. "I know what happened to Psyche." He resumed pacing. "A few days back, I went and visited my mother. And… Merlin only knows I am not proud of my actions, but I force-fed her Veritaserum, and she told me the whole story."

Regina gasped. "Remus…"

"I know it was a dreadful thing to do," Remus said doggedly, still pacing, "but… I had to know. And Merlin only knows that when I found out…" He laughed, but it was a bitter laugh. "When I found out, I cast _Obliviate_ on myself. But… Memory Charms have never been my forte and it broke yesterday in court."

"Remus," Sirius said, "_what happened to her_?"

Remus sat down in a threadbare old armchair. "This is what I had from my mother," he said.

"After she took Regina and Psyche from the temple - she used the Imperius Curse, I understand -"

"Yes," Regina said. "She did."

"After she took them, they travelled to a small inn for the night. She tied Reggie to a chair - am I right, Reggie?"

Regina nodded.

"She tied Reggie to a chair, and took Psyche," Remus said.

"And pushed me through the veil the next day," Regina finished.

"But… what happened to Psyche?" Sirius asked.

Remus bowed his head. "My mother took Psyche," he said, "and left her."

"Left her where?" Sirius barely dared to breathe.

"On the doorstep of a Muggle family," Remus replied. "She had done her research well, of course. When did my mother ever do anything by halves? She found the most Muggle family she could, the people she thought would be the most non-magical, the most mundane. And she left Psyche on the doorstep, with a letter."

"What did the letter say?" Sirius asked. Regina was breathing shallowly beside him and he could feel her shaking.

Remus shook his head. "Nothing but the baby's name."

"What - Psyche?"

"No," Remus said, meeting Sirius's eyes. "My mother changed the child's name. Regina called the baby Psyche, after the goddess of intellect. My mother… she named the child after the first abandoned daughter of history."

And Sirius understood. "Oh Merlin," he moaned, and buried his face in his hands.

Remus nodded sadly. "My mother called the child Hermione."

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REVIEW!


	54. He Chatters With His Fingers

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

Well, Hermione is Psyche Lupin… and I know it seems as though I have departed from canon on some plot points ie. Hermione's birthday. _I haven't._ Be patient, my friends, and all will be explained. Remember, I'm always writing about five or six chapters ahead of where you're reading, so I know exactly where I'm going…

I've always been struck with the similarity of Hermione to Remus - not just in looks but in personality. She has the whole logical cool-minded thing going on… but she also a very reckless streak that Remus doesn't have. And who do we know that is Mr. Reckless? Why, Sirius Black. Therein, Hermione daughter-of-Sirius-and-Regina-and niece-of-Remus was born… I knew I was always going to get mixed feelings with that one, no matter how well I wrote it, but… ah well, you win some, you lose some!

We are now progressing towards the end of _The Space Between The Stars…_ but don't worry, there's still quite a bit more to come!

Oh, and I had some comments on the relationship between Harry and Ginny… no, they're not going out, but I think _Order of the Phoenix_ made is quite clear that Harry is beginning to change the way he looks at Ginny… which is why he seems to be flirting with her when they appear in _The Space Between The Stars._ And no, they're not really getting married. Harry was just being cheeky. 

A note on the name _Hermione_ - Remus says Arethusa gives Psyche the name of 'the first abandoned daughter in history.' Hermione was the daughter of Helen of Troy by Menelaus, whom Helen abandoned when she ran off with Paris…

________________

The silver ladle clattered to the floor as pain shot through his arm.

Severus moaned convulsively. _He is angry tonight,_ he thought, _or very, very happy._

Still clutching his forearm, he staggered to the fireplace and took down his urn of Floo powder. "The Shrieking Shack!" he choked as he threw the powder into the flames and stepped through.

__

At least I wasn't in the middle of a class, he thought. _I know that will happen one day… and I will have to bear the pain, because I will not abandon my duty._

In the Shrieking Shack, he took a moment to put up his shields. It was never a good idea to go before the Dark Lord with an open mind. 

__

There is no room for opinion amongst Death Eaters, Severus thought, and then Disapparated.

"Ah, Severus. How nice of you to join us."

*

Severus met the man's eye and practically growled. "Get out of it, Pettigrew," he snarled, elbowing his way past the smaller man. Pettigrew fell back.

For an instant, Severus was glad that it was Pettigrew that Voldemort had given the silver hand to. _A hand like that,_ he thought, _in the hands of Lucius Malfoy or Bellatrix Lestrange would be disastrous._

But then he remembered Remus. 

Pettigrew was undeniably marked out for Remus Lupin now. The showdown would come… between the werewolf and the man with the silver hand. And who would win on that day… Severus could not say.

He fell to his knees. "My Lord."

*

Voldemort was lounging in an armchair upholstered with green velvet. Bellatrix Lestrange sat at his knee on a footstool. Her dark hair fell in shining waves over her shoulders and her body language spoke confidence, but Severus could see fear in her eyes. For an instant, he saw the Bellatrix of his schooldays, his classmate, his confidante, his friend. But then it was gone, and only Bellatrix Lestrange, Death Eater, remained.

"Severus," Voldemort said, and Severus saw pleasure in his red eyes, "do take a seat. The entertainment is about to begin."

Bemused but not showing it, Severus sat on one of the lowslung chairs that were scattered about the room. Several Death Eaters were already seated, and Severus detected, with the use of subtle Legilimency, waves of anticipation coming off them.

Voldemort snapped his fingers. "Bring her in!"

And Severus realised, with a sickened feeling in his stomach, exactly what the entertainment was.

__

Sweet mother of Merlin, he thought. _Aralinda._

*

The priestess was still dressed in robes of grey, but they were torn and ragged. Her hair, once as golden as Helena's, was matted and tangled with filth. But her eyes, green as new spring, were still bright, and the second she laid eyes on Severus she began to shriek.

"You!"

__

Play the Death Eater, Severus told himself.

"Me?" he drawled. "Why, dear, you don't know me at all."

"I know it's you behind that mask, Severus Snape," Aralinda hissed. "I do not need my eyes to recognise you. I know your presence."

"A friend of yours, Severus?" Voldemort asked in what seemed like an amiable tone, but Severus detected the suspicion underneath.

"Merely an acquaintance," he replied smoothly. "I was sent to Telae Domus by Dumbledore in July, as I know you are aware. This priestess and I… became acquainted."

"So you know each other," Voldemort said. He was musing.

"Not in the Biblical sense, I assure you," Severus answered silkily. Behind his shields of Occlumency, he was mentally apologising over and over. _I'm sorry, Aralinda, I'm so sorry. _

"Did you meet any of these other… priestesses?" Voldemort asked him. Severus could see a calculating in his eyes.

"Indeed I did," Severus replied. 

"Let me phrase my question more clearly," Voldemort said. "Did you meet the High Priestess? I believe her name is Helena Seraphim."

Severus felt a hand of ice clench around his heart. "I did." He forced his voice not to waver. To waver was discovery, and discovery was death.

"And she is at Hogwarts, as Dumbledore -" Voldemort spat the name, "- decreed?"

There was no way he could lie. "Yes."

Voldemort leaned back in his chair. "Good," he said. "You will go to this Helena, Severus, and you will offer her a trade. The life of this priestess for the eldritch secrets I know she knows. The secrets of life and death."

Severus had never felt worse in his life.

"And now," Voldemort said, waving a hand at the Death Eater who had brought Aralinda in, "take her away. Do what you will with her, just keep her alive. We have," Voldemort's eyes scanned the room, "other business to attend to."

*

"As you all well aware," Voldemort began, once Aralinda had been taken from the room, "a new Minister for Magic was elected today. Remus Lupin, to be precise. A werewolf."

Severus heard several muttered expressions of disgust from around the room. He hoped it hadn't got out yet that he had vouched for Remus. He hadn't had time to concoct an explanation.

Voldemort eyeballed his Death Eaters. "Life under Minister Lupin will be much harder for us than life under Minister Fudge," he announced. "He is, I am given to understand, a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and a prominent one at that. This means that the Order now has the Ministry's resources at their beck and call. It also means that it will be much harder for my spies to sway the Ministry. Lupin, unlike Fudge, is well versed in defensive arts. Had he not been a lycanthrope, he would have, most likely, become an Auror. 

"But this is not the only blow we have suffered in the last few days. The one good thing that came out of the botched raid on the Department of Mysteries last year - the death of Sirius Black - has been undone. Black has returned from beyond the veil, and the story that is being told is that he was sent back from the afterlife by none other than Lily Potter." Voldemort allowed himself a humourless smile. "We may well have underestimated little Mrs. Potter. Not only did she so charm as her son as to send me to oblivion for thirteen years, but she seems - even from beyond the grave - to be capable of raising the dead as well. And Sirius Black is not the only person who has returned. Regina Lupin has been brought back. And herein lies our new mission."

Voldemort cast his eyes around his Death Eaters, and his eyes lingered uncomfortably on Severus. "Two people now remain alive that know the secrets the Arachniae held. Helena Seraphim and Regina Lupin. These are the two women who know the secrets of raising the dead, and of immortality. But these secrets are recorded elsewhere also - apart from, of course, in the minds of wights, seelie and unseelie both."

"But the Libri of Life and Death were destroyed, Master!" a Death Eater Severus did not recognise spoke up.

Voldemort gave the Death Eater a piercing look. "Once again, Lily Potter comes into the equation," he said slowly. "She and her husband, an Unspeakable, left papers. Comprehensive accounts of the secrets of life and death. And these papers rest in Gringotts."

He smiled. "It is time to pay a visit to the goblins."

___________

REVIEW!


	55. The Company Of The Like Minded

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

Herein lies the reaction of Hermione… and hopefully a few of the details that appeared erroneous before may have been rectified… if not, they will be clarified in later chapters…

Tomorrow is a Helena interlude!

To answer one reviewer's question about the mythological Hermione - yes, she was the daughter of Helen and Menelaus, who ruled Sparta (Lacedaemon). She was abandoned by both her mother when Helen ran off with Paris (Helen took her son Nikos with her and left Hermione behind - how mean is that?!) She was then abandoned by her father Menelaus when he followed Helen and waged the Trojan War (along with Agamemnon and Achilles and that mob.) And no, Paris was not the golden apple guy. That was Heracles (Hercules) - though some myths change Jason's golden fleece to a golden apple as well. 

______________

Sirius felt like he'd been slugged in the stomach. He and Hermione stared at each other in complete shock. He could feel Regina trembling beside him. Remus, too, was gazing at Hermione, a mixture of sadness and steadfastness in his eyes… 

__

Sweet Merlin, Sirius thought. _I guess… he's her uncle, then._

Thinking of trivial things in serious situations. So he was wont to do.

"Look," Ron said firmly, "it can't be Hermione. Can't be."

"Why not?" Ginny asked quietly. She had gone sheet-white, and it seemed to Sirius that only Harry's hand on the small of her back was keeping her from collapsing into the chair.

"Well, for starters," Ron said, "this Psyche was born in March, yeah? Hermione was born in September!"

"No, I wasn't, Ron." The voice was Hermione's.

"What do you mean, you weren't?" Ron demanded.

Hermione took a deep breath and Sirius knew then that she was about to cry. "I - I _was _adopted," she said shakily. "September the 19th isn't my birthday. I never knew when my real birthday was. September the 19th is my Finding Day - the day my parents took me in."

It was starting to sink in for Sirius. _I have a daughter. I have a daughter and she is sitting right in front of me. I have a daughter… and it's Hermione._

"Hermione," Remus said gently. "I'm sorry to tell you like this. But… you do have the right to know."

Hermione didn't say anything. She just stared at her hands.

There was an awkward silence. "Well," Ron said uncertainly, "I guess… that's that, then…"

"Psyche?"

It was Regina who had spoken. Finally, she looked up, and her grey-green eyes locked with Hermione's brown ones - eyes, Sirius realised, that she had inherited from him. It was all falling into place. _My eyes. Regina's hair. Hell, she's even got hands like Remus!_

Hermione's jaw hardened. Sirius recognised the characteristic as one of his own. "No."

Sirius saw the light die in Regina's eyes. "Psyche…" she murmured, more a whisper than a question.

Some floodgate seemed to burst in Hermione. "No," she said, "I AM NOT PSYCHE!"

There was a stunned silence. Regina slumped beside Sirius, and he had to support her to keep her from collapsing into the sofa completely. Hermione, however, seemed oblivious.

"I'M NOT PSYCHE!" she yelled. "I'M HERMIONE!"

She wheeled on Remus, who held up his hands in a pacifying way. "Hermione…" he said.

"Don't you 'Hermione' me," Hermione hissed. "So you thought I had a right to know? Did you ever consider I would have been happier _not knowing!_ No-one ever seemed to have any issues keeping things from Harry! Why couldn't you keep it from me?!"

Sirius was on his feet now. "Hermione…" he said warningly.

"Stay away from me!" Hermione shrieked. "Do you have any idea what you have stolen from me? Any idea at all?"

Now Regina was standing too. "Please…" she said weakly.

"You've stolen MY IDENTITY!" Hermione yelled. "You have stolen everything I am!" She took a deep breath and Sirius could see unequivocal fury in her eyes. "For five years at this school, I have been Hermione Granger, Muggle-born. The one that slimy little purebloods like Draco Malfoy called 'Mudblood Granger.' The daughter of Muggles that beat the purebloods in every single class. And now… you've stolen that. I'm not Hermione the Muggle-born any more. I'm a pureblood. Just like _them._ You've made me what I hate!"

Ron tentatively laid a hand on her arm. "Hermione, I'm a pureblood," he said honestly. "Do you hate me?"

Hermione looked somewhat taken aback. "Of course not, Ron," she answered. "You're -"

"Different?" Ron finished for her. "No, I'm not different, Hermione. I'm a pureblood, just like Draco Malfoy. Does that make me as bad as him?"

"N-no," Hermione stammered.

Ron took both her shoulders in his hands and forced her to look at him. "Hermione, just because you're a pureblood doesn't mean you have to go Muggle-baiting or join the Junior Death Eater society or anything," he told her urgently. "Haven't we always been told that it is our choices who make us who we are, not our blood? Your blood doesn't change anything."

"But -"

"It doesn't change anything," Ron repeated insistently. "Nothing at all."

Hermione took a deep breath. "Ron, me finding out I'm a pureblood is like Draco Malfoy finding out he's Muggle-born!"

"Would being Muggle-born make Draco Malfoy any less a slimy git?" Ron demanded. "Look at Voldemort." Sirius knew that that was the first time Ron had voluntarily spoken the name, and he had done it without faltering. "He's a halfblood, and he's still a stupid crazy bastard."

There were tears pouring down Hermione's cheeks now. "Don't swear," she whispered.

Sirius extended a hand to Hermione. "Hermione?" he asked quietly.

Ron released her. "Go on," he urged her.

Hermione looked from Ron to Sirius to Regina. She appeared to be thinking. "No."

"What do you mean, no?" Ron demanded.

Hermione appeared to ignore him. Instead, she stared steadfastly at Sirius and Regina. "If you think you can waltz into my life and become my parents, you can forget about it," she told them firmly. "I already have parents. They may not be related to me by blood, but they're all I've ever known. And I will not forsake them. Not for you, not for anyone."

And with that, she left the room, slamming the door behind her.

*

"Go on," Remus said quietly to Harry, Ron and Ginny. "Go after her. She needs you."

Ron nodded firmly, and he and Ginny left without a glance backward.

Sirius sank back into the sofa with a groan. "Sweet Merlin," he moaned.

"Sirius?"

He became aware of Harry, still standing by the door. His green eyes were sombre behind his round glasses. The firelight flickered and Sirius saw, with an uncomfortable jolt of his heart, that Harry was crying. Crying silently, but crying nonetheless.

"Harry?" he asked gently. "Harry, what's wrong?"

Harry's body shuddered, wracked with sobs. In an instant, Sirius was on his feet again. He guided his godson to the couch and sat him down. Remus had his arms around Regina and she was crying into his shirt.

"Harry?" he asked tentatively. "Harry, what is it?"

He had never seen Harry in a state like this. _Come to think of it,_ he thought, _I don't think I've ever really seen Harry cry before._

"I - I only just got you back," Harry answered, choking on his tears, "and now I've lost you again."

"What do you mean, you've lost me?" Sirius asked. "Harry, I won't ever abandon you. You know that."

"Before…" Harry gulped, trying to swallow his tears. "Before… it's so horribly selfish, but before… before there was only me you had to love. You were like - like my dad. But now…"

"Now I'm someone else's dad, is that right?" 

Harry met Sirius's eyes. Slowly, he nodded. "Yes," he replied, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Now… you have Miss Lupin, and you're getting married… and you have a daughter. It's like there's no place for me anymore."

"Harry," Sirius said insistently, "never, ever, for a moment think that there is no place for you." He grabbed both Harry's shoulders, much like Ron had grabbed Hermione's. "I may have seventeen wives and thirteen hundred children, but there will always be a place for you. Just because I have other people to love doesn't mean I'll love you any less."

"But -" Harry choked. "But… you have your own daughter now. You don't need me."

"Harry," Sirius said, choking slightly on his own tears. "Harry, no son of mine could ever be as dear to me as you are. Never. Of course I love Hermione. I always have - she's your friend. She helped you save me. But no-one will usurp your place with me, Harry."

"I feel awful," Harry admitted tearfully. "I feel selfish for wanting to be first with you, but then when you tell me I am, I feel like I've stolen Hermione's place."

"Don't," Sirius urged him. "Hermione has her own place. It's a different place to yours, but it exists. Just like Reggie has her own place. Like Remus has his own place. Like your mother. Like your father."

Slowly, Harry nodded. "Thankyou, Sirius," he whispered.

Sirius embraced his godson. "That's all right, Harry," he said, holding the boy tightly. "That's all right."

When at length, they drew back, Sirius smiled at Harry. "So, Harry," he said, "how do you feel about being the best man at this wedding spectacular that seems to be planned?"

Tentatively, Harry smiled back. "Thanks, Sirius," he said. "I'd - I'd love to."

Sirius felt like the wheel had come full circle.

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REVIEW!


	56. Interlude: A Thing To Be Achieved

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

Oh, _that_ golden apple story! Sorry, momentary brain lapse there! I do know that story, I was just… momentarily stupid!

There are only five or six chapters left… so be ready for the end…

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It was, Helena reflected, the most delightful feeling in the world.

"It's beautiful," she said softly, as she looked up at the stars.

Bill nuzzled her neck. "Not as beautiful as you."

She turned in his embrace, faced him. She knew she did not have to speak, just smile gently. His hands were straying, and she closed her eyes, revelling in the sensation. Then she felt his lips on hers and she knew she was lost.

When at length he drew back, she saw everything she had ever desired offered to her openly in his eyes. "Your kiss is fire," she told him softly.

"Then burn," he answered, trailing kisses up her neck, her jaw line, her face. "Burn."

"Sorry to break up your little snog session, but I have rather important business to discuss."

Helena and Bill broke apart. Helena felt disoriented, and it took her a moment to place the voice.

It seemed, however, that Bill was in full possession of his wits. "What are you doing here, Snape?"

Under normal circumstances, Helena knew that Severus would have made some kind of sardonic remark, bullying, intimidating. Such was the mask he showed the world.

But there was no mask now, and Helena knew it.

She tugged at Bill's hand. "Bill… I think that, perhaps… it is important."

"It is," Severus replied sombrely, "and, Weasley, it does not concern you."

Bill's eyes narrowed. "I think that'll be for me to decide."

"No," Helena said suddenly, surprising even herself. "No, Bill. Go."

"Helena…"

"No," Helena said, more firmly this time. "If it does concern you, then I'll tell you. I promise."

"Are you sure?"

Helena smiled. She stood on tiptoe and kissed him, gently, on the lips. "I'm sure," she answered. "Now, go."

Bill nodded. He took the jar of Floo powder off the mantelpiece and threw some into the fire. "Gryffindor common room!" he said clearly, and he was gone.

Severus immediately began to pace and Helena realised that something was very, very wrong. It brought back memories of the night that he had told her she was carrying his child - a night she had much rather forget.

"Sit down, Severus," she offered.

He shook his head. "No. I - my mind - I cannot sit."

There was an awkward pause for a few moments. Helena wondered whether she ought to say something, but she did not get the chance.

"How much do you know about my position in the Order of the Phoenix?" Severus asked.

Helena smiled weakly. "I must confess… I did not even know you were a member."

Severus peered out the window, as if trying to see if anyone were out there. Then he took his wand and cast Silencing charms on all four walls, the ceiling, and the floor. "I am a member," he said hoarsely. "Officially, I am Severus Snape, Lieutenant of the Order of the Phoenix. But officially, I am another thing as well… I am Severus Snape, Death Eater."

Strangely, Helena did not feel afraid. "You are a spy," she said. She could not imagine Severus being a Death Eater without a reason.

He looked at her with cold, bleak eyes. "At the beginning I was not," he told her frankly. "But now… yes, I am a spy."

A hand of ice clenched itself around Helena's heart. "Did you know…"

"- about the attacks at Telae Domus? Before they happened?"

Helena nodded.

"No," he said shortly. "I did not know." He stopped, dropped to his knees in front of her. "Believe me, Helena, if I had known, I would have done all in my power to stop them. You must believe that."

"But this is what this is about, isn't it?" She was not in Telae Domus, but Helena was nothing if not perceptive.

"Yes," Severus replied simply.

"Tell me. I must know."

Severus took a deep breath. _It is horrible, then,_ Helena thought, and was surprised when she did not feel more nauseous about it.

Severus rolled up his left sleeve. "Do you recognise this?"

"It is the Dark Mark."

"When the Dark Lord touches one Death Eater's mark, all other Death Eaters must Disapparate and Apparate by his side," Severus said. "He summoned us tonight… and…"

"And?" Helena prompted. A snake of fear was beginning to uncoil in her belly.

Severus closed his eyes and she saw him shudder. "Helena," he said brokenly, "I don't know how I can tell you this. I am not qualified to break things delicately to anyone."

"What happened, Severus?" Helena demanded.

His eyes met hers, and all she saw was despair. "He has Aralinda," he whispered. "He has her… and he says he will kill her if… He told me to offer you an exchange. Her life for yours… and the secrets you bear."

*

When he was gone, Helena buried her head in her hands.

__

Lady Arachne, she thought, _oh lady, what am I to do?_

Aralinda's face swam into her mind. Golden Aralinda, with the river-water laughter and the eyes like new spring. Aralinda, priestess of the Second Circle, but on the way up.

And the one secret that Severus had not uncovered at Telae Domus.

Aralinda Seraphim, her sister.

She still remember the day Aralinda had been born. She had been six years old, clinging to her father's hand as they went into St. Mungo's. _"Is Mummy all right, Daddy?_" she had asked.

He had smiled - his gentle, bear-like smile that still haunted her dreams, even though he had been dead for so long. _"She's just fine, my little hellion,_" he had told her, hoisting her up and putting her on his shoulders. _"And now… you have a new little sister. Aralinda."_

"Aralinda," she had repeated. _"That's a pretty name."_

"For a pretty little girl." Her father had opened the door. _"And here she is."_

"So rare," the High Priestess had said at the temple, _"for the younger sister to follow the elder into the Arachniae. But we are glad she did, for she is talented like you, Helena."_

But now… the Arachniae were gone, and only Helena remained.

Helena and Aralinda. 

Aralinda, broken beyond recognition in the hands of Death Eaters. The only thing that could save her were the secrets of life and death, secrets only Helena possessed. But to give them up…

"Which is more important?" she asked herself aloud. "My sister… or my world?"

"Helena."

She looked up. She had not heard anyone enter, but Regina Lupin was standing in front of her, offering her a handkerchief. She took it gratefully. "Thankyou."

"You are welcome," Regina replied. Uninvited, she sat beside Helena. There was no need for invitation among the sisters of Arachne, they who knew the lore of wights.

For a moment, there was silence. Then Regina spoke again. "We are both in a bad way, are we not?"

Helena looked at her, confused. "I - I don't understand."

Regina's eyes met hers and Helena realised, for an instant, just how alike they were. "I too," Regina sighed, "have suffered great loss. My daughter… my Psyche… the girl I thought lost… I have found her, and she does not want me." She laid a hand on Helena's arm. "And you have lost your sister, and you do not know how to cope with it."

Helena looked at her in unbridled shock. "How do you know that?"

Regina smiled gently. "We are both priestesses, my dear. Those whom Arachne has laid her hand on share a consciousness above their own. The part of us all that is eldritch."

Helena felt very stupid. "Of course…"

"Grief blinds the mind, dear," Regina said softly. "But remember… while there is grief in your life, there is joy also. You have your Bill. You have your child. And while the Arachniae may be gone… together, we can rebuild them."

"You will help me? You will come with me to find the seelie wights?"

"Of course." Regina took her hand. "But it is you who wear the white, Helena. That I will not take from you."

"But -"

"No," Regina said firmly. "The white is yours. But I will aid you, in every way I can, High Priestess."

There was silence between them for a moment, then Helena spoke. "Congratulations on your wedding, Regina."

Regina smiled, an open smile. "Thankyou. And to you also."

"Do you - do you love him?"

Regina closed her eyes, as if savouring something. "Very much."

"You must know… I am sure you do… Severus Snape has been in love with you for many years now."

"I know," Regina answered. "But… you must know this also, Helena. Severus… he was dear to me, but… he never knew me. He knew a part of me, true, but… the woman he loved, the Regina he loved… it was not me. There was goodness in him that recognised the goodness in me… and I was kind to him. Not many people have ever been kind to Severus. But now…" she sighed. "He has made the same mistake again, and I am afraid for him."

Helena did not have to ask what Regina meant. She knew.

*

She had known, from the beginning, what she had to do.

__

To be a daughter of Arachne is to be altruistic, even if you must sacrifice all that you love.

She knelt on the balcony, the stars above her. Somewhere, out there, the same stars shone on Aralinda. And she prayed for her sister's soul.

__

"Farewell, beautiful Aralinda, loving sister.  


"You gave me love and joy 

"And I will remember it forever.  


"Farewell, beautiful Aralinda, Flower of Telae Domus.  


"The light of your life died like a candle in the wind,  


"But my love for you will not die in my heart.  


"Farewell, beautiful Aralinda, fair priestess.  


"Now fly into the West on golden wings,  


"And may your soul rest in eternal bliss."

Slowly, Helena stood. "Goodbye, Aralinda," she said softly as she finished the eldritch blessing. "May your passage be swift and easy."

She closed the door behind her as she went inside.

____________

REVIEW!


	57. More Help Is Given Through Love Than Mer...

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

This chapter is posted a little early but… I'm sure you'll deal with it. I'm leaving at some god-forsaken hour tomorrow morning so I won't have time to update in the morning like I usually do…

After this chapter, there will be three more chapters and an epilogue…

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There was a knock at Sirius's door and he raised his head groggily. By the look of the sun, peeking cheerily in through the window, it was very early in the morning.

"Reggie?" he croaked hoarsely. "Reggie, is that you?"

Regina had left him in the early hours of the morning. After they had left Remus, they had gone back to Sirius's rooms and drowned their sorrows in each other. But Regina had seemed to sense, as they lay, entwined, in a post-coital embrace, that there was trouble afoot, and she had left him.

"No, Sirius," came Dumbledore's voice from the door. "It's me."

Sirius hastily got out of bed and pulled on his discarded trousers. "Come in!" he called.

Dumbledore entered and looked with an amused eye at the state of Sirius's rooms. "I see that you have not become any neater since you left school."

Sirius allowed himself a grin, reminiscent of the old Sirius, the Sirius before Azkaban. "Clearly not. And it seems no domestic wights or house-elves decided it would be fun to tidy either. Find yourself a spot and sit down, Professor."

"Thankyou."

"Would you like some tea?"

"Please."

Sirius flicked his wand at the kettle and it began to boil. "So, what brings you here at the crack of dawn, Professor?"

"I have a task for you today," Dumbledore answered. "A task and a proposition."

Sirius handed the Headmaster his tea and sat down, cradling his own mug. "Propose away."

"Well, the task is simple enough," Dumbledore said. "How do you feel about a trip into London?"

Sirius understood immediately. "You want me to retrieve the papers from Gringotts?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Of course. It has also come to my attention that Harry and his friends will need new things for school - especially considering that I have not the slightest inclination of sending him back to Privet Drive."

"What about the Dursleys, Professor?"

Dumbledore sighed. "I received a message last night, Sirius."

"Yes?"

"Privet Drive has been destroyed."

Sirius gaped. "But - the Prosapiae charm -"

"It protects Harry when he is with his Aunt Petunia. Generally, his Aunt Petunia is in Privet Drive. But -"

"- she's at Hogwarts," Sirius finished. "Voldemort doesn't miss a beat, does he?"

"I am sure that, if tested, he would dance the gavotte very well," Dumbledore replied sombrely, but there was a wicked twinkle in his eyes.

Sirius chuckled. "Terrible joke, as ever, Professor. Anyway, what do you plan to do with the Dursleys?"

"I have no intention of letting them go anywhere," Dumbledore answered.

Sirius was dumbfounded. "You mean… you'll keep them at Hogwarts?"

"The magical community is no longer safe, as I know you are aware, Sirius," Dumbledore answered. "It is my intention to offer all the families of Muggle-born students shelter - as well as all Squibs. I will not allow people to harm my students."

"With respect, Professor… where are you going to put them all?"

Dumbledore smiled. "As one of the infamous Marauders, Sirius, you should know better than anyone just exactly how much room there is in this castle and how little of it we use."

Sirius nodded distractedly. Something had occurred to him. "Professor… I don't know if I should take the kids into London today…"

"Ah. I understand your predicament, Sirius."

Sirius looked at him quizzically. "You do?"

"Our esteemed Minister Lupin informed me of the events of last night," Dumbledore replied. "Aemilia will take Hermione and Ginny shopping for their school things."

"Thankyou, Professor," Sirius answered. "So… I'll take Harry and Ron, then."

"Yes. I am sure Regina will join you also." The Headmaster smiled wickedly. "It seems she does not like to be absent from your company."

Sirius was painfully aware of the tangled blankets on the bed behind him and flushed bright red. "Ah…"

"I am sure your wedding will be wonderful, Sirius," Dumbledore said sincerely.

Sirius smiled. "Thankyou, Professor."

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and took another sip of his tea. "And now, to my proposition."

Sirius leaned back too. "Fire away."

"I do not know if you have been apprised of this yet," Dumbledore said, "but Helena Seraphim, the priestess I asked to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts this year, has declared herself unable to take the position, due to her pregnancy and impending marriage, as well as the fragile state of her religious order and the need to travel to eldritch places to communicate with seelie wights."

Sirius caught his breath. Dared he believe…?

"And, as you know, it is no longer needful for you to be a prisoner in Grimmauld Place," Dumbledore continued. He paused. "Sirius, would you consider teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts come the start of the school year?"

Sirius felt a huge grin work its way onto his face. "I would love to, Professor," he said.

Dumbledore beamed. "Excellent! There will be a place here for the soon-to-be Mrs. Black, as well, though I know her work with Helena may take her from here from time to time." The old man sighed. "And hopefully… hopefully you can re-establish some kind of relationship with your daughter, Sirius."

"Thankyou, Professor," Sirius said.

"Hermione is a wonderful girl," Dumbledore told him gently. "She feels hurt, as I am sure you realise. But… time will heal all wounds, Sirius. Perhaps not completely… but time will help."

"I hope so, Professor," Sirius answered. "I truly hope so." A thought brightened his face. "At the very least, I can spend as much time with my godson as I desire."

"I am sure you will find Harry an enterprising pupil," Dumbledore replied. "Did you know that he received the highest marks in Defence Against the Dark Arts since the 1860's?"

"And we all know who received them in the 1860's, don't we?" Sirius teased, and was gratified to see the Headmaster turn pink.

*

When the Headmaster had gone, Sirius looked at his watch. _It is early yet,_ he thought. _I doubt anyone is awake in this castle except Dumbledore and I._

Carefully, almost reverently, he took a case out of the corner and opened it. Out of all his material possessions that had been restored to him, this one was the most precious.

The dawn hours are not so unfamiliar, Sirius thought, as he lifted the glorious, shining wood out the case. He remembered days, weeks, months, years… the years of his youth, where he would rise before the other three boys in his dorm and go quietly down the stairs, out the portrait hall, to an empty classroom.

And there, he would play.

He had fond memories of that classroom. From his earliest years at Hogwarts, it was his sanctuary, his refuge, the place sacred only to him. Eleven-year-old Sirius would look out the window at the shining waters of the lake and play. And music would drip from the strings, his bow, his fingertips, like water.

Later, when he and Regina had been caught by the snare of young love, he took her to the classroom in the early evening. Together, they stood at the window and looked at the glassy lake, glimmering invitingly a hundred feet below them. Then he had taken her hands, led her to a chair.

And he had played for her, and they had fallen in love.

And as Sirius played now, so many years later, that love was still bright in his heart.

____________

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	58. An Iron Thread Vibrates

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

And so we begin to approach the climax.

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There was a note on his desk when Severus got up the next morning. A simple piece of parchment, unsigned, containing only three words, but it told Severus all he needed to know.

I will not.

Severus bowed his head. Brave, courageous, Helena.

It takes courage to play the hero and try to save everyone, he thought, _but sometimes it takes more courage not to._

He had an inkling of what it must cost Helena to leave this message for him. Aralinda was the last of the Arachniae, bar Helena herself and Regina. It seemed a safe bet that she would try to rescue the girl.

But she had not.

I will not.

The immense responsibility that he had placed on Helena's shoulders the night before suddenly struck Severus. He had asked her to choose between one of the last remaining denizens of the Arachniae, a girl he knew she loved dearly. and the fate of the world.

Oh wise girl, he thought. _Lady, lady, lady._

He sat down, one hand over his forearm, the other clutching the note, and waited for the Mark to burn.

*

"How nice of you to join us, Severus."

Severus glared at Pettigrew. The little man seemed to think himself some sort of Gatekeeper for the Dark Lord, and it irritated Severus no end. "I care not for your grandiose statements, Pettigrew," he said from between gritted teeth. "Get out of my way before I force that silver hand of yours down your throat."

Pettigrew did not scuttle like Severus knew he would have at school, but he lowered his eyes, chastised. "He is waiting for you," he said sullenly.

There was no-one in the room when Severus entered, save Bellatrix Lestrange sitting on her footstool and Voldemort himself. Voldemort was stroking Bellatrix's hair idly. Severus repressed a shudder of disgust behind his shields of Occlumency.

"You spoke to the priestess?" Voldemort asked, his long fingers entwined in Bellatrix's black hair, tangling and untangling.

Severus nodded in assent. "I did." It was his policy to lie as little as possible before the Dark Lord. Vagueness was best, where he could get away with it. He was not so good an Occlumens that he could force to let down his guard. No-one was that good.

"And?"

Severus did not speak, merely proffered Helena's note. _I will not._

Voldemort quirked an eyebrow at him - or what passed as an eyebrow, on the Dark Lord's flat, snakelike face. "She refuses my offer?"

"Yes." Again, not a lie.

"Did you try _very_ hard to persuade her, Severus?"

Severus chanced a more speculative statement. "Judging by the state she was in when I left her, Lord, I assumed that she would accept. It seemed given."

Voldemort's eyes searched Severus hard and long and Severus could feel his subtle probes of Legilimency reaching out, trying to find their way behind Severus's equally subtle shields of Occlumency. 

Severus bowed his head. "I have failed, my Lord." That, at least, was not a lie. Severus had failed at many things, at many moments.

"Yes," Voldemort said thoughtfully, "but all is not lost."

Severus barely had time to wonder what he was talking about when the Dark Lord's voice took on a darker mien. "But first," he said sinisterly, "this - Helena - must be punished for her choices." Severus focused on the long white fingers, stroking Bellatrix's hair. "Bring out the priestess!"

Severus stood, removing his mask. If he was to witness Aralinda's death, he wanted her to see the apology in his eyes.

The priestess was dumped unceremoniously on the floor. She seemed to be unconscious. Her eyes were closed, her golden hair fallen around her head like a halo.

Voldemort pointed his wand at Aralinda. "_Enervate!_"

She did not move.

"_Enervate!_"

Aralinda's body gave a little jolt, like she had been given an electric shock, but then lay quiescent again.

"_Enervate!_"

Nothing.

Could it be, Severus wondered, _that she is already dead? Or is this some trick the priestesses learned from wights?_

"Severus," Voldemort said commandingly, "what is wrong with her?"

Severus swiftly knelt next to Aralinda's body. He checked her pulse, first at the wrist and then at the neck. Beating faintly, so quietly it was almost not there, Aralinda's heart beat.

Severus?

Severus blinked.

Severus?

Someone was speaking in his mind.

Severus?

Three times is magic.

Aralinda?

Yes. It is I.

What.?

My sister set me free.

Your sister.?

Helena. Soon I will leave this mortal world forever, but I tarry here long enough to give you this message.

Severus understood. Aralinda was dying, and there was to be no saving her.

Severus Snape, I charge you in the name of the three sisters of fate, in the name of Arachne, in the name of the seelie wights who first built Telae Domus and in the names of Lily, Regina and Helena, best beloved by the goddess, do not let the Lord of Darkness gain our secrets!

Aralinda's eyes opened suddenly, spring-green shining for a glorious instant, before a golden eagle seemed to erupt before Severus's eyes. Aralinda's body convulsed and fell completely, finally limp. Severus knew this was eldritch magic.

They cannot conquer forever! Aralinda whispered in Severus's mind, and then the golden eagle took flight, wings of sunlight carrying it westward, away, away, to the Otherworld, Everhame, the Summerlands.

To a better place.

*

Severus stood. "My lord," he said, "she is dead."

Voldemort sniffed. "It is such a shame when my hostages die before I can kill them myself," he said, his red eyes burning, "but it is of no matter." Malice began to pour off the Dark Lord like mist rolling down a hill. "I shall get the secrets, Severus, and I shall get them today."

"How do you mean?"

"The goblins have capitulated," Voldemort replied. "Gringotts is ours, and so are the secrets she holds in her depths."

Severus felt his heart turn to ice.

Voldemort laughed. "Take the body back to this Helena," he ordered Severus. "Let her see what her foolish choices have done."

With a sickened feeling in his stomach and a heart full of fear, Severus took Aralinda's body in his arms, and Disapparated back to the Shrieking Shack.

*

Severus tumbled out of Dumbledore's fireplace, Aralinda still in his arms. "Dumbledore!"

Dumbledore looked sadly at the body in Severus's arms. "Poor little Aralinda," he murmured. "She was a wonderful student here at school."

"Professor," Severus said urgently, "I just heard from the Dark Lord himself - Gringotts has fallen."

Dumbledore's blue eyed widened. "The goblins have turned?"

"Yes," Severus answered. "He plans to take the papers!"

I cannot let him, he thought urgently. _I will fulfil Aralinda's last wish. I will do it!_

For an instant, Dumbledore and Severus just looked at each other. And then, finally, Dumbledore spoke.

"Harry is there. Now."

____________

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	59. Why Do Waves Crash So Fiercely?

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

The climax. I will say no more.

_____________

Remus sighed. _This whole Minister gig is much harder than I thought it would be,_ he thought, _and I had a niggling suspicion it would be pretty hard._

There was a piece of parchment in front of him. _Cabinet Under Minister Of Magic Remus J. Lupin _was written at the top, but the rest of it was blank. He sighed again and wondered how Fudge had felt in his first few days of office. He wished he had Aemilia here to advise him, but she was taking -

"LUPIN!"

There was no mistaking the urgency in Severus Snape's voice. "What?" Remus asked, hurrying to the fireplace.

There was genuine fear and anguish on Severus's face. "Get to Gringotts," he said hoarsely. "The goblins -"

Severus needed say no more. Remus was out the door in a flash. 

The people in the Atrium that day might have wondered what the grey and brown blur that streaked through their midst was. A stray dog, perhaps, or a particularly unkempt representative from the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts department, rushing to a case? More than one person, knocked over by the grey and brown blur, sniffed and said, "He should be sent to the Centaur Office!"

Little did they know that the blur was the Minister for Magic, and little did they know that the world as they knew it was about to change.

*

Remus, Apparating into Gringotts, ended up high above the scene playing out below him. He was standing on a marble plinth. He assumed it was the Minister's Apparition point into Gringotts. He knew well enough that no-one but the Minister for Magic could Apparate into Gringotts itself without being splinched. 

And he knew, with a sickened feeling in his heart, that he was late, late, too late.

Sirius stood at the forefront of the group, wand raised menacingly. Regina was at the rear, wand also raised, guarding Sirius's back. Between them, Harry and Ron were sandwiched. Aemilia, Hermione and Ginny were nowhere to be seen. Remus could only hope that they were safe.

Around them was a ring of Death Eaters. The goblins sat back, not participating, merely watching.

"So, Black," a Death Eater spat, "back from the dead."

"So it would seem," Sirius said in reply. Remus admired his friend's restraint.

"And yet not for long!" the Death Eater crooned, in a horrid parody of a mother's voice. He raised his wand. "_Avada Keda-"_

"_Stupefy!_"

Remus cast the curse and then somersaulted down from his plinth, wand at the ready. He had lost Sirius once before. He would not lose him again.

And he would not lose his sister. He didn't think he could bear losing _her_ again.

Remus's dramatic entrance had sparked off a battle. Remus hit the floor and came up, cursing everything in sight. Sirius and Regina were both duelling. Harry had his wand out and had Stunned a Death Eater already. Ron too had entered the fray, casting a Tripping Hex on a Death Eater that attacked Remus from behind.

Doom, boom.

The Death Eater Remus was duelling let his wand clatter to the floor. Remus himself froze.

Doom, boom.

Everyone in the room, Death Eater or not, was frozen in fear. Something was coming, a denizen from the bowels of Gringotts, making its horrid way up the stairs.

Doom, boom.

Then Remus the grins on the faces of the goblins all around the room and he knew what they had done. 

"Faithless!" he cried.

In lieu of any other sound, his voice echoed.

Faithless, faithless, faithless.

Doom, boom.

"Faithless?" a goblin spoke up, his face belying wickedness. "We swore no oath, Minister Lupin. We serve only our own interests. We do not serve you. We serve neither, much as he thinks we do, the Dark Lord. We serve only ourselves."

Doom, boom.

"You broke your word!" a Death Eater hissed.

"We swore no oath," the goblin repeated.

"They have betrayed us all," Remus breathed.

Doom, boom. Doom, boom. Doom, doom, doom, doom!

"Each Uisge," Remus heard Sirius whisper. "Unseelie wights. Merlin save us all."

*

When they were at school, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black had been the only two students in their year to take an obscure class at NEWT level known as 'Wight Lore.' Remus had taken it because he hoped that somewhere, amidst all that ancient lore, might be a cure for lycanthropy. Sirius had taken it because he was Sirius and he enjoyed knowing things not many others knew.

But in all his life as a wizard, Remus had never seen a wight. No trow, no henkie, no bruney had ever crossed his path, much less one of the great wights, the powerful wights, against whom much of the lore he had learned was useless.

Such a wight stood before him now, and it was not a seelie wight, like the wights that had built Telae Domus and instructed fledgling priestesses in eldritch lore. No, this was an unseelie wight, and that meant death and chaos.

The King of the Wights, the Each Uisge, advanced through the hall. He had taken on the shape of a comely young man, dark hair reaching to his shoulders, clad in fish-green mail. As he walked, the ground shuddered. Remus could feel the magic pouring off him like smoke, and knew the world was lost.

The Each Uisge did not have to speak. It merely smiled, and then behind it were other unseelie wights, all the wights of the deep that could bear to come this far above it - the waterhorses, the fuath, the Glastyn, Nuckelavee. Such an unseelie host was laid out before them, and such a silence had fallen that Remus felt like it could be cloven in two with a knife. 

Faithless, faithless, faithless.

Remus knew now why he had never seen a wight. They had gathered, underground, these faithless unseelie eldritch creatures, waiting, waiting, waiting. The goblins. goblins were akin to wights. This Remus knew. These wights possessed dark magic that even Voldemort could not perceive. And so the wights had waited, waited for the mortals to fight, to war, to be splintered, so that they might destroy them all. For Remus had no doubt that this host could destroy them, one by one, painfully, woefully. No man could truly govern a wight. No man.

And the goblins had told them the time was _now,_ and they had come, all these unseelie wights of water, from the depths of Gringotts, from their subterranean lakes, to destroy them all. The wights of land slept on, but there was no need for them to be wakened. _Mankind,_ Remus thought, _is not so mighty._

"Who - who are you?" a Death Eater stammered.

The Each Uisge smiled. His teeth were pointed, sharp, like poisoned needles. "I am your death," he said. Wights could not lie.

"Do not take your eyes off it," Remus warned, "or they will kill you."

The Death Eater blinked.

Instantly, seven of the fuath fell upon him. As carnivorous goats were they, with their teeth the barbs of arrows tipped with hemlock. No man could defeat them. And there was nothing anyone could do but watch the Death Eater be devoured, blood dripping from the pointed teeth of the fuath.

"You know me?" the Each Uisge said, and Remus knew the question was directed at him.

"You are the Each Uisge," Remus answered, "King of the Unseelie Wights of the Water."

"And you," the wight returned, "are learned."

Remus inclined his head in assent, but did not take his eyes off the Each Uisge. "I am."

"I would you were in the sea," the Each Uisge shot suddenly.

A war of words, then. Remus knew that by gaining the last word over a wight, some measure of immunity from it could be gained. "And a boat under me," he returned.

"A boat with a leak."

"And me with a bucket for bailing."

"And for the bucket to break."

"And for me to use a second bucket."

"And for the mast to fall."

"Onto your head."

"And for my head to be hard."

"Hard compared to jelly."

"And for jellyfish to take you."

"And for me to swim away."

"And for the water to freeze with you beneath it."

"And someone hammering on it."

"And for them to be dead."

"Then someone else instead."

Remus smiled. His line had rhymed with the Each Uisge's. He had won this battle, at least. 

"You are wise in word-lore," the Each Uisge acknowledged, "but no mortal man can best the Lords of Eldritch."

"No mortal man, but what of a woman?"

Oh lady, lady, lady.

Regina. 

*

The Each Uisge regarded Regina with an odd gleam in his eyes. He was calculating, Remus realised. "What is your name?"

"I am called My Own Self," Regina shot back. To reveal your name to a wight was for them to gain power over you. Regina, Remus remembered suddenly, had been the only person in her year to take Wight Lore, and the subject had been discontinued after that.

Another wight emerged to stand beside the Each Uisge. In silent assent, this wight moved forward to confront Regina, and Remus saw with a shock that the wight had taken on the form of Sirius. A ganconer, then.

"How I love thee," he whispered, taking Regina's shoulders in his hands and drawing her to him. Remus saw his sister melt against the unseelie wight, her arms around his neck, he embracing her. _Beware the ganconer, he whose honeyed words are poisoned,_ Remus remembered from his textbook. The ganconer, the Love Talker.

The ganconer began to trail kisses down Regina's jaw line, and Remus knew those kisses must be both fire and ice. 

He also knew that if the ganconer kissed Regina's lips, she would die.

"Who do you cherish?" Regina asked the wight.

Oh wise, Remus thought.

"My Own Self," the ganconer answered.

And Regina pushed the wight from her. "Faithless lover, then, who loves himself better than all others!"

The Each Uisge inclined his head in acknowledgment to Regina. "You have bested the ganconer, lady," he said, "and there are not many that can boast of that. But you can not best all of us."

There was an uncanny gleam in Regina's eyes. "You reckon," she said softly, "without gods."

In a flash, she pulled her wand out of her sleeve. "_Vestis Acclaro!_"

The air shimmered, inimical forces coalescing.

And the Tapestry was revealed. 

*

The Tapestry created by the Moerae and woven by Arachne. The Tapestry into which all lives, mortal and eldritch, were sown. Before them, summoned by Arachne's greatest daughter, it shone, material in a material world, beautiful, terrible, fate, destiny.

The Each Uisge started forward, as if to snatch the Tapestry and destroy it, but Regina began to chant, an ancient chant that Remus remembered from his days studying the lore of wights, the most simple of means to repel wights.

"_Hypericum, salt and bread,_

"Iron cold and berry red,

"Self-bored stone and daisy bright,

"Save me from unseelie wight."

Remus joined in, helping his sister repel the wights. 

"_Red verbena, amber, bell,_

"Turned-out raiment, ash as well,

"Whistle tunes and rowan-tree,

"Running water, succour me."

Two voices became three as Sirius joined in.

"_Rooster with your cock-a-doo,_

"Banish wights and darkness too."

Remus, not daring to speak, gestured with his arms, urging all those in the room, Death Eater and not, to join in. _Enemies must join to defeat the greater evil._

"_Hypericum, salt and bread,_

"Iron cold and berry red."

Regina had stopped chanting. Instead, she had stepped forward to the Tapestry. The Each Uisge started forward too, but could not touch her.

__

"Self-bored stone and daisy bright,

"Save me from unseelie wight."

She laid her hand on the Tapestry, and it did not burn her. She was Arachne's child, after all, the best beloved of that spider goddess.

"_Red verbena, amber, bell,_

"Turned-out raiment, ash as well."

Regina's eyes left the Each Uisge, and yet neither he nor any of his unseelie host could move against her. 

__

"Whistle tunes and rowan-tree,

"Running water, succour me."

Then, with a pained look on her face, Regina grasped an enormous hank of threads on the Tapestry, and ripped them asunder.

"_Rooster with your cock-a-doo."_

The Each Uisge stopped, shuddered. Regina held up the hank of threads.

"Banish wights and darkness too."

And he fell, fell, fell. 

*

Down, down, down fell the Each Uisge and all the wights that accompanied him, their threads ripped from the Tapestry, torn out of time and space.

All was quiet, all was still. The Tapestry vanished.

And she who had saved them all, Regina Lupin, a hank of threads clutched tight in her fist, lay dead on the floor.

____________

REVIEW!

And if you have any questions regarding the wights. well, ask me!

The chant in this chapter (_Hypericum, salt and bread._) is from Cecilia Dart-Thornton's _Bitterbynde _trilogy - though I think she may have lifted it from somewhere else.

__

Each Uisge is pronounced _ech oosh-kya_.


	60. Even In The Desolate Wilderness

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yes, Regina is dead. No, she's not coming back. Not this time.

Only the epilogue left after this chapter.

In an answer to a question about wights - no, I did not invent them. Wights like the Each Uisge and the Direach come out of Irish/Scots/Welsh/Gaelic mythology. Cecilia Dart-Thornton's _Bitterbynde_ trilogy transposes wights into a society, and I have tried to do the same thing - though _The Space Between The Stars_ is very different from _Bitterbynde!_

In answer to another question - Aemilia, Hermione and Ginny are fine. They weren't at Gringotts when the wights attacked. It was only Sirius, Regina, Harry and Ron - and later, Remus. 

______________

Regina was buried at sundown a week later, the threads from the divine tapestry still in her hand, her body laid to rest by that of the brave, finally defeated Aralinda.

"No-one may touch the Tapestry and live," Helena had said solemnly when she laid eyes on Regina's body. She had left Hogwarts the next day, travelling with Bill to London, and the castle, in Severus's mind, seemed emptier than it ever had. 

He felt numb inside, his heart turned to a coal-blackness like his eyes. They were gone and he had failed them. Aralinda was dead, and it was his fault. Regina was dead and he hadn't been there to save her. And now Helena was gone, and there was nothing he could do to convince her to stay.

He had not cried at Regina's funeral. Severus Snape was not a man who wept. Remus Lupin and Sirius Black had stood, side by side, tears rolling down their faces, but Severus stood aloof. Their grief was too intensely personal for him to understand. The love of a brother, a lover, was a love Severus could not claim. He could claim only the love of a friend, an admirer.

But I loved her, he thought as he walked by the lake. _Oh, how I loved her._

For almost two decades he had worshipped his memories of Regina Lupin, the Potions genius, his schoolmate, his friend. She would never leave his heart, that much he knew. Her name was etched there like an epitaph on a gravestone.

And now, so too was the name of Helena Seraphim, and once more Severus Snape had failed.

Perhaps I am a man not worthy of love, he thought. 

He could see Regina's grave from where he walked, and the dark figure standing by it.

"Regina," Sirius Black said hoarsely, "I miss you. I love you. Wait for me."

The same words he had spoken at Regina's funeral. The most simple of sentiments. _I miss you. I love you. Wait for me._

Even those who had been beyond death and returned still felt loss.

Sirius had his violin in its case with him, and, as Severus watched, he set it on the ground and knelt before the grave. "Regina," he whispered, his voice broken, "wait for me." He bowed his head and began to sing softly a Lament for the Lost that Severus knew he had penned himself. And even though there was no love for Sirius Black in his heart, the lament touched his soul.

__

"Farewell, Regina. Under the stars

"On silent wings, begin your flight.

"It seems a sudden shadow flees

"Across the night.

"Fly swift, Regina, on faithful winds,

"With rhythm strong, soar straight and free.

"Yet something rare and wonderful

"Shall leave with thee.

"Fly on, Regina, do not look back

"At those from whom thou must needs part.

"Thy wings thresh airy currents like

"A beating heart.

"Fly high, Regina - do not look down.

"Thy destiny is in no doubt,

"But somewhere in the world below

"A light goes out.

"And didst thou wist so many hearts

"Would go with thee?"

Severus heard Sirius sob, a gut-wrenching, heart-rending sob from the bottom of his heart. He repeated her name like a mantra. "Regina, Regina, Regina."

So much love in his heart, Severus thought suddenly, surprising himself. _So much love. that has passed with Regina into the Otherworld._

He found himself walking over to Sirius, laying a hand on his shoulder. Sirius looked up at him in surprise.

"Come on, Black," Severus said gently. "It is time to go home."

*

Had someone told Severus a month ago that a month later he'd be in his dungeon getting drunk with Sirius Black, he would have fed them a deadly poison with hideous side effects.

He took down his bottle of Old Ogden's Firewhiskey and poured a measure. "Drink it," he urged Sirius.

Sirius obliged, knocking it back. "It helps," he admitted. "It. deadens the pain a little. But I know it'll come back." His voice cracked. "I loved her _so much._ So much! And I had only just found her again. and she was ripped from me."

Severus knocked back his own measure. "I know you loved her, Black," he said. "I loved her too, in my own way."

"I know you did," Sirius replied heavily. "I hated you for it."

"As did I."

There was a moment of silence between them before Sirius spoke again. "We're a pair of sad old buggers, Snape."

Severus quirked an eyebrow, refilling their glasses. "How do you mean?"

"We both fell in love with priestesses," Sirius answered, "and look where it got us."

Severus remained silent. He could not disagree with that, though he didn't know how Sirius knew about Helena.

"You got one pregnant and fell in love in the process," Sirius elaborated, "only to get thrown over for a younger man." He sighed. "And I had one by me for a few glorious weeks, before she was snatched away. Now I have a daughter who didn't want me before and sure as hell won't forgive me now."

"True enough," Severus acknowledged.

"And we spent nearly twenty years chasing after the same girl," Sirius added. "Trying to kill each other in the process, of course." He looked Severus in the eye. "I'm sorry about that. Really."

"As am I," Severus answered. "And I do apologise for the horrid way I have been treating your godson, but don't expect me to stop."

Sirius allowed himself a smile. "The world wouldn't be the same if Severus Snape wasn't a bastard to Harry Potter, and you know that. I know you're doing your job as a spy and all that. It's just. for all that time, after James died, it was Harry and the thought of him that kept me going - even in Azkaban. I wanted justice for his sake. I love that boy like a son. That's why I sounded you out so many times about treating him wrong. Sorry."

"Forgiven," Severus said, knocking back another measure.

"Of course," Sirius added thoughtfully, "you do have reasons to hate Ron and Hermione equally as much now."

"What?" Severus asked.

"Hermione's my daughter. No secret you don't like me. And Ron's Bill's brother. No secret you don't like Bill very much at the moment."

"True."

Sirius cast him a look filled with sadness. "When I was behind the veil. I saw your father, Snape."

Severus felt a sort of bittersweetness settle on him. "Oh," he said lamely.

"He sounded like he genuinely regretted the way he treated you," Sirius said. "But. he was killed by the Direach when the wights poured in. I'm sorry."

"It's all right."

Sirius laughed, a bitter laugh. "We really are a pair of sad old buggers, Snape."

"I know," Severus replied.

"We ought to have settled our score twenty years ago."

Severus refilled the glasses. "True."

Sirius raised his glass. "To the saddest pair of old buggers Hogwarts as ever seen."

"I'll drink to that," Severus answered, and both he and Sirius knocked back their measures.

And began to heal.

_____________

REVIEW!


	61. Epilogue: He Pushed Them From The Edge, ...

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

As regards sequels… I have no plans in the near future, though a prequel sounds like it could be fun to write… but I am starting Uni next week and my time will be limited. If I write more, it won't be for a little while…

I'm glad you have all enjoyed _The Space Between The Stars_ so much, and the time I frittered away writing fic when I should have been writing original stuff wasn't wasted! It was helpful, actually… if you ever come across a novel that features the Arachniae (in five years or so!) you'll know who wrote it… and why it took her so long…

And here it is, finally. The end. I will say no more.

______________

Aemilia sighed as she looked at Remus, sitting in his chair by the window, gazing down at Regina's grave in the last sun of the day.

No man loved his sister like Remus loved Regina, she thought.

She laid her hands on his shoulders. "Remus."

His body shuddered beneath her hands. He was sobbing silently, gasping for a breath so quietly it was almost imperceptible.

"Remus."

His hands were shaking, and she took one of them in both of hers.

"Remus."

Three times is magic.

"Aemilia," he choked, "I - I -"

She enfolded him in her arms. "You don't have to speak," she told him, tears beginning to well up in her eyes too. "I know. I know. I know."

"I loved her so much," Remus whispered.

"And she loved you," Aemilia said, cupping his face in her hands. "That's why she did what she did. She died for you, for Sirius, for the world."

"She was - special. No-one was like her."

Aemilia nodded, tears rolling down her face. "She was special, Remus. So special."

He closed his eyes, his pain written on his face like a book written in blood.

"I won't tell you that it'll get better," Aemilia whispered, "or that it will ever stop hurting. You lived with her death for all those years and I know how much it hurt you. But… the dead that we love never truly leave us, Remus. Dumbledore told me that when my mother died. She's still here - in you."

Remus opened his eyes, full of tears. "I never thought anything would hurt this much," he choked.

She could do nothing but cradle him in her arms. "Remus," she whispered simply. No more need be said.

That sat like that until the sun went down and blackness reigned outside the window, masking Regina's grave. "Look," Aemilia said softly, "it's the first star."

She felt him kiss the top of her head. "I love you, Aemilia," he whispered. "How I love you."

*

Helena stared out of the window of Bill's London apartment, watching the stars rise.

Beyond the stars, she had been told when she was a young priestess in Arachne's temple, _is the Otherworld._

"Do you walk the paths of the Otherworld now, Aralinda?" she asked the night. "And… are you happy there?"

She felt Bill come up behind her, lay his hands on her shoulders. Even now, after so much death, his touch made her shiver.

"_And where shall ye belong if not at home?_

"Devoid of native heath and doomed to roam?

"The rover's footsteps quicken as he turns

"Toward the hearthstone, where the home fire burns.

"Mere shelter may be varied frequently,

"But home is where the heart knows it to be.

"A wanderer may roam throughout his days

"In pathless lands or winding roads and ways,

"But in his secret thought, will always yearn

"Towards the home to which he would return."

Helena looked up at Bill in mild surprise. "I did not know you were a man of poetry," she said softly.

Bill smiled and sat down beside her. "It's written on the hearthstone at the Burrow," he answered. "Apparently one of my ancestors wrote it."

Helena turned her gaze back to the window. "Aralinda is far from home now," she sighed.

"But… perhaps she is home, Helena."

"What do you mean?"

Bill wrapped his arm around her. "I talked to Sirius about the time he spent in the Otherworld with Harry's parents," he told her. "He said… it was just like this world, but better. Like it was more real than the real thing."

Helena felt a little of her pain lift. "Thankyou," he told Bill softly, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"She's out there, somewhere," Bill said, running his fingers through her hair. "Out there… with the stars."

*

Severus sat in an armchair in the staffroom, his long legs stretched out by the fire. He had a book on his lap, but it was not a book of potions. It was a book unlike any book Severus had ever touched before.

It was poetry.

__

"Dark is the night that blinds the sight and moonless hides our paths,

"Dark are the shadows of the madness gathered on our hearths.

"Dark the storm-cloud, tall, wrathful, proud, whence tears of sorrow rain,

"And dark my heart that we must part. When shall we meet again?"

Two faces floated into his mind as he read the Lament of Farewell. One, a woman with long, curly brown hair, the other with gold.

Regina. Helena.

Lady, lady, lady.

"Severus?"

Severus looked over his shoulder. "Hello, Albus."

"Severus, I'd like you to meet someone," Dumbledore said.

Severus stood. "Certainly," he answered. He put his book of poetry down.

Dumbledore gestured to someone in the shadows. "Severus," he said formally, "this is Niamh Virdis, our new Ancient Runes professor."

"Hello," the new professor said.

She had long dark hair that fell to her waist in shining ringlets. Her skin was very pale, and her eyes an odd honey-colour. And there was something about her…

"Are you one of the Arachniae?" Severus asked sharply.

Niamh smiled gently. "My mother was," she answered.

And as Severus gazed on this daughter of a priestess, he thought that perhaps the third time would be… magic.

*

Aemilia had fallen asleep against him as they gazed at the stars. Remus picked her up gently and carried her to his bed without waking her.

She is so beautiful, he thought.

Aemilia's beauty was very different to Regina's. Regina's beauty had been in her serenity, in the absolute peace she radiated, permeating her features, making her beautiful.

Whereas Aemilia…

Aemilia was fire, dark eyes flashing beneath her long dark hair. She was not serene like Regina. Instead, passion made her beautiful. It gave her depths.

Dumbledore had once told him to wear his heart on his sleeve, and he had found it difficult.

But that was what Aemilia did, and he loved her for it.

He stroked a stray strand of hair away from her face. She stirred slightly and murmured his name in her sleep.

Regina was gone… but Aemilia was still here.

Remus lay down and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you, Aemilia," he whispered into her hair.

He knew that somewhere, somehow, Regina was looking down on him.

And she was smiling.

*

"Sirius?"

Sirius wheeled. "Harry? What are you doing out here so late?"

"I could ask you the same question," Harry said wryly, kneeling beside his godfather.

"You shouldn't be out here. It's too dangerous!"

"The same goes for you, Sirius," Harry told him. 

"I can protect myself."

"So can I."

"But -"

Harry laid a hand on Sirius's shoulder. "It's not important, Sirius," he said softly.

They knelt together in silence before Regina's gravestone for a moment before Harry spoke again. "You really loved her."

Sirius nodded. "So much it hurt."

"The song you wrote for her… it was beautiful, Sirius. Ginny and Hermione cried."

"When you want people to believe your lies, Harry," Sirius replied bitterly, "set them to music."

"Do you think she would've wanted you to be like this, Sirius?"

"What do you mean?"

Harry took a breath. "I mean… I don't think Regina would have wanted you to be sad. She loved you too much for that."

"You sound very wise for a sixteen-year-old boy," Sirius replied half-jokingly.

"It comes with the saving-the-world gig," Harry replied wryly, and Sirius couldn't help but laugh a little.

The darkness was complete in the sky above them, and the stars were out, hanging like a jewelled diadem in the sky. _Regina would have loved it,_ Sirius thought with a pang.

"She wouldn't have wanted you to be sad, Sirius," Harry repeated softly.

"I know," Sirius replied, "but that doesn't stop it hurting."

Harry looked up at the stars. "She's not gone, Sirius," he said quietly. "She's out there. She's with my mum and dad in the afterlife, and I bet you they're looking down on us right now."

Sirius smiled. "I think you're right there, Harry."

"Play for her."

"What?"

Harry gestured to the violin, in its case on the ground. The same place it was every night when Sirius kept his vigil by Regina's grave. "Play for her."

Sirius smiled. There was a rightness to it. He snapped open the case. "I think I might," he replied.

And as the notes dripped off the violin, music pouring from the strings, the bow, his fingers like water, Sirius knew for certain that Harry was right. Regina was watching, and she did not want him to be sad.

And above him, the space between the stars kept shining. 

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And therein, my friends, is the end of _The Space Between The Stars._


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